Guilty Conscience
by FreeKiwi
Summary: How do rich kids enact revenge on Zexion? They convince the pool boy to pretend to be Zexion's conscience. The pool boy convinces Zexion he has to change his ways or he'll die. Everyone else? They just have to keep a straight face. -Zemyx- -AR- -SR-
1. Trusting Your Conscience

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **I really wanted to write a Demyx / Zexion-centric story. Mostly because they're super fun to write and the Demyx x Zexion section on ffnet is very little. Originally, this was an idea for Riku and Sora and then it bounced over to Axel and Roxas and now here it is at Demyx and Zexion.  
**Fair warning**: Zexion is a **dick **in this story. I suppose that calls for a slight "OOC" warning? But I promise it's only very slight and essential to the story.

Review, review, review. Reviews (and flattery) will get everyone everywhere. I'm pretty unsure about this idea and I want to know what you, the spectacular reader, is thinking. Good, bad, eh, whatever – just let me know. I thoroughly appreciate every review. I absolutely _loathe_ reviewing things so I often (err, never) do. But don't be like me. I'm not cool. So… be cool and tap this story's ass.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 0: **Trusting Your Conscience

"**You're in my **seat."

Zexion didn't take his eyes away from his book. "Funny. I don't recall seeing your name on it. Even if your name _was_ on this seat, I'm sure it was spelled incorrectly which means any ownership over this seat would be null."

His cheeks heated slightly at the insult and his jade eyes narrowed considerably. He was already having a terrible day because he was being forced to take public transit to his father's cologne company. Axel seldom took public transit, but when he was occasionally forced to he always took the seat right up front behind the bus driver. He hated the bus because it smelled bad. He hated the bus because it was for common people. He hated the bus mostly because _Zexion_ took the bus everywhere and he absolutely loathed Zexion.

Axel didn't know anyone who _didn't_ loathe Zexion and his complete "better than you" attitude.

"This is my favorite spot to sit. Move your bag so I can at least sit next to you."

He flipped a page in his book. His face was expressionless when he spoke, "I'm not putting my bag on the floor. Perhaps you aren't aware, but this isn't daddy's limousine. The floors are filthy."

Axel glared. His father's company was at least thirty or forty minutes away and he was _not_ about to stand for the whole duration of the ride. He reached up and gripped one of the overhead handles when the bus gave a particularly rough jerk. Zexion barely seemed to notice, or care, and merely flipped a page in his book.

"Put your bag on your lap then," the redhead reasoned. He tried to keep his voice even, but he knew Zexion was pushing his buttons. That kid pushed _everyone's _buttons because he had some sort of sixth sense about what, exactly, pissed people off. He could talk to someone for less than a minute and knowjust want to say or do to make them irate.

"I could, but then I wouldn't be able to comfortably read my book and," he paused and glanced out his window. "I'm going to be on the bus for a good while." Actually, he was getting off at the next stop, but he didn't want to give Axel the satisfaction of knowing he would soon be off the bus and out of the redhead's seat.

"Okay, fine. I'll hold your bag then." He made a move to grab the other's bag and, in unnecessary retaliation, Zexion yelled, "I'm being robbed!" at the top of his lungs.

Heat flooded into Axel's cheeks and he immediately jerked his hands back. Had this been a few years ago, _before_ he had a criminal record and an extremely incensed father who was threatening to cut him off if he got into any more trouble, he probably would've caused more of a scene. But all eyes were on him, including the bus driver who was glancing at him suspiciously in the rearview mirror. So he stood there feeling stupid and looking murderous.

Axel waited for everyone on the bus to go back to their own business before quietly speaking to Zexion again, "Why can't I just sit?"

"Because you're a spoiled, snobby, waste of space and on principle I shouldn't give up this seat. There are plenty of seats in the back."

"What am I? Rosa Parks?" Axel snapped.

Zexion let his eyes flutter briefly from his book so he could give the redhead a withering look. "I'm not sure which is more shocking; the fact that you know who Rosa Parks is or the lack of a filter on your enormous mouth."

The bus jerked to a stop and the doors swung open. People stood from their seats and began to flood down the aisle toward the doors. Zexion craned his neck to double-check if this was his stop and then he closed his book and placed it into his bag. He slung his backpack over his shoulders and gave Axel a hefty bump as he walked past.

It may have looked like Zexion was out to get Axel, but he wasn't.

He was out to get _everyone_.

••••••••••••••

**To say Zexion **hadn't always been this way would have been a lie. His ferocity towards people was usually based on no criteria other than he believed himself to be smarter than everyone around him. Even his parents, who had never done Zexion any kind of intentional harm, suffered under his snide remarks and disparaging comments. He was virtually friendless and the people who tolerated him often only did so because they were forced to.

Roxas was an example of this.

"Can't you do anything correctly?" Zexion asked. He snatched the book out of the blonde's hands and looked at the ISBN. He typed it manually into the computer and when the book came up on screen, he scanned the barcode. "If you scan the book once and it doesn't appear on-screen, don't continue scanning it. If it didn't work the first time, why would it work the second or third or fourth time? That's complete idiocy."

Roxas stared. "Um… It's my first day here, man. Give me a break."

"Oh, well pardon me." Zexion rolled his eyes and stamped the due date on the small, square piece of lined paper on the inside cover of the book. "How silly of me to assume you know something about books because you work in a library. People who work here generally have some semblance of an IQ and know how to properly check a book out, but you're right. I'm the one who's out of line."

Roxas wasn't sure if this guy was serious. He had been warned by multiple staff members of Zexion's attitude, but he had shrugged it off as just gossip. If the guy was so bad, wouldn't he have been fired by now? He reasoned that maybe this was some kind of joke. Maybe this was some kind of "new job hazing" or whatever nonsense. This was, after all, a college library and college campuses were _filled_ with hazing.

Zexion went to hand the book to the girl in front of the counter. She reached out to take it from him, but he quickly snatched it away.

"It's due back on the 15th."

"O… Okay…" the girl stated unsurely. Again, he extended his arm to hand the book to her and as soon as she reached for it, he snatched it back again.

"If it's even a day late, you'll be charged a fine."

"Um… Okay." She looked over at Roxas who merely shrugged his shoulders and offered her a clueless look. For the third time, Zexion went to hand her the book and when she went to take it from him, he gripped it tightly. She tugged, but he didn't let go.

"I'll know it was you if you damage this book. The library doesn't have a stated policy on what they do to students who damage books, but I've taken it upon myself to eradicate those who are incapable of proving themselves worthy enough to borrow books."

Roxas made a noise that sounded like laughter. "What are you? Book Worm Z, protector and caretaker of all mistreated books?" He rolled his eyes and the girl took Zexion's momentary distraction as her chance to snatch the book from him and run.

People seldom checked books out while Zexion was at the front desk. Every book he checked out came with a due date and the threat of punishment (possible death) to anyone who even so much as dog-eared a single page.

"Books are no laughing matter," he replied coldly. "But I wouldn't expect someone who can't even manage to correctly check a book out to understand that."

And then he made a little checkmark in a notebook and Roxas had the nasty feeling that he was being graded.

••••••••••••••

"**He's probably got **Asperger's Syndrome or something," Riku offered. He was lying out by their pool in his swim shorts and sunglasses. They were enjoying their last week of summer before the fall semester at their college began. Neither boy was looking forward to spending another semester being corralled into classrooms and made to learn.

"That's what you always say." Axel was sporting the same pair of swim trunks and sunglasses. He and Riku were extremely close to each other and had been since Axel's father had married Riku's mom ten years ago. They were step-brothers, both waiting to inherent Un Monde Parfait, their father's cologne company, and spending the majority of their time doing what Axel called, "rich people things."

Like hanging out by the pool, taking joyrides in expensive cars, playing tennis or badminton, and making people think they were a _lot_ richer than they actually were.

"Because that's probably what it is. We've known Zexion since high school. That's seven years, Ax, and he _still_ hasn't changed one bit," Riku pointed out.

The redhead shrugged. "I'm sick of it. Every time I see him around he's got something shitty to say to me."

"Don't flatter yourself. He insults everyone."

Axel looked over at Riku. "Yea, I know. That's why he needs to be taught a lesson. You know I can't even go into the library anymore because of him?"

He raised his silver brows. "That's _your_ choice though."

"No!" Axel sat up suddenly and removed his sunglasses so Riku could see the indignant look he was giving him. "He loudly points out that I have dyslexia and then he'll ask me fifty thousand million times why I'm even bothering." The redhead made his face expressionless and spoke in a very monotone voice. "Why are you even bothering? Your father isn't going to let a dyslexic inherit his business."

Riku laughed at the impression. "I think Zexion might have a point," he teased.

"Shut up. He says shitty things about you too."

The smile on Riku's face dropped and he tried not to look too interested. "Like what?"

"Oh, you know…" Axel slipped his sunglasses back on his face and laid back down. "Nothing really."

Now it was Riku's turn to sit up. "What does he say about me? Tell me."

"No, no. He probably has Ass Burger's Syndrome or something," the redhead teased.

His aqua eyes rolled and he didn't bother to correct Axel. "I don't care if he's mentally handicapped. What does that little shit say about me?"

"Just that your mom is a gold digging whore."

Color flooded to Riku's cheeks and he opened his mouth to speak, but Axel held up a finger.

"_And_ he said the only reason you'll inherit any part of the business is because of your mom's, ah… _work_ in the bedroom."

His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses and he looked away from the redhead. "Fucker," he spat. "What does he know? And why is it really any of his business? Maybe he should keep his nose in his story books before he finds my foot up his ass."

Axel smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. He insults everyone."

"Shut the fuck up. It's funny when he gives _you_ a hard time because you probably actually did something to genuinely upset him."

"I did not," the redhead stated firmly. "The only thing I ever did to Zexion was introduce myself."

Riku pulled his sunglasses from his face. He was extremely annoyed now. Zexion had no right to go around calling Riku's mother names and making bold statements about her marriage to Axel's father. So what if she was twenty-eight and he was forty-eight when they got married? That didn't make her a gold digger. A grave digger, maybe, but not a gold digger.

"So…" Axel purred. "Let's teach Zexion a lesson."

"How?"

The redhead contemplated this for a moment. The last time he had attempted to teach Zexion a lesson, he had ended up in jail. Granted, it hadn't been a foolproof plan. It had consisted of him getting exceptionally drunk and then storming over to the guy's apartment to whoop his ass. That had been the start of his criminal record and the start of his father's very serious threats to cut him off if he didn't stop causing bad publicity for Un Monde Parfait.

"I don't know. But it has to be something good…" Axel mused. "Whatever it is has to be more than dropping an anvil on his head and calling it a day. If we're going to teach Zexion a lesson, it has to be a lesson he won't forget."

A sudden splash caused both boys to look over at the other end of the pool. The newly hired help had just mistakenly fallen in.

"I'm okay!" the pool boy called to them once he resurfaced. "I just fell in, but I used to be a swimmer so I won't drown!"

As he climbed out of the pool, Riku sighed and reached up to rub at his eyes. "I can't believe Dad hired him."

Axel shrugged. "Cut Demyx a break. He needed a job. Besides, it's not like you had to go to Un Monde Parfait to pick him up. Poor guy thought he was supposed to be cleaning a pool there."

Riku rolled his pretty eyes. "Did he not realize that's Dad's place of work?"

The redhead gave his step-brother a very serious look. "Riku, he thought that was our _house_."

••••••••••••••

"**Mister, wanna buy **a cup of lemonade?"

Zexion stopped in his tracks and eyed the lemonade stand. It was nothing more than a fold out table with a badly drawn sign (these two girls had to be at least eight; way too old to be writing their e's backwards) taped haphazardly to the table. According to the sign, it was ten cents a cup and Zexion, feeling slightly parched from his walk to the bus stop, dug in his pocket for a dime.

"Here." He threw the coin at them and then watched as they quickly grabbed a disposable cup and filled it with lemonade. He took the cup from them and with a bit of hesitation he took a sip.

This had to be, by far, the worst lemonade he had ever tasted. He spit it back into the cup and then placed the cup on the table in front of them.

"That's terrible. Give me my dime back."

"No!" the one girl shouted. Both of them glared at Zexion. "No refunds."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry. Based on your poorly drawn sign I thought you were selling me lemonade, not your mother's morning excrement. Now give me back my dime."

They both crossed their arms over their small chests and Zexion was suddenly locked in a staring contest with two little girls. He should have recognized that being twenty years of age meant he was a little too old to be picking fights with children. However, he felt he had a valid point. He gave them money for a product that was terrible. He didn't consume the product so they should, rightfully, give him his money back.

"Um, excuse me…"

Zexion looked away from the little girls and he rolled his eyes when a woman, maybe their mother, but she looked too young, walked over to him.

"Is there a problem?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, there is."

The little girls took shelter behind the woman and shot Zexion dirty looks. He had no problem reciprocating the same dirty looks. Just because they were children didn't mean they were allowed to be rude little thieves.

"This is the worst lemonade I've ever tasted and I demand my dime back."

She stared. "I'm sorry?"

Zexion kept his expression even. "This. Is. The. Worst. Lemonade. I've. Ever. Tasted," he said very, very slowly. "Now. Give. Me. My. Dime. Back."

Her eyes went wide and her mouth hung open somewhat. Was he serious? He couldn't be serious. Granted, the lemonade probably was pretty bad, but these were _kids_. And it didn't matter what kind of terrible thing a kid produced. If a kid produced it, it was usually meant to be praised.

"It's a kid's lemonade stand," she said evenly. "Sorry you think the lemonade is so terrible, but it's just a dime. Let it go."

"Are you their guardian?" he asked the woman.

"I'm the babysitter," she answered stiffly.

"So, if I understand this correctly…" He crossed his arms over his chest. "You knew these girls were coming outside to sell lemonade and instead of making sure their lemonade was up to par so they could experience the warm feeling of customer satisfaction, you send them outside with zero supervision and allow them to sell something that tastes like cat urine."

_Was he serious_? She couldn't even form a real sentence. Who the hell was this guy anyway? Was this some sort of prank? Some kind of joke that was playing played on her?

"You've taught them to create a faulty product that does _not _quench thirst and instead of correcting the mistake by rightfully giving me my dime back, you're going to just keep my money. Perhaps you aren't aware, but that's technically stealing." Zexion extended his hand. "And unless you feel it necessary to involve the authorities, I'll just take my dime back now."

He had never been punched by a woman before.

And although Zexion had no problem being rude and snotty to strangers and acquaintances alike, he knew enough to _not_ strike a woman.

••••••••••••••

"**Question: How do **you take revenge on someone who's smart enough to figure out what you're up to?" Axel held a yard stick in his hands and paced the length of the chalkboard. Riku was standing at one edge of the board, a piece of chalk held between his fingers.

Their plot to teach Zexion a lesson had gone nowhere in the last three days. As a result, Axel and Riku had been spending the majority of their time in the pool house scheming various ways to make Zexion suffer.

"This is stupid." Sora sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. He was sitting in a fold out chair in front of the chalk board. Riku had called him an hour ago asking if he wanted to hang out and Sora, who had a fairly large crush on the older boy, agreed excitedly. However, the words "hang out" translated into, "do you want to come over and help my brother and I plot the destruction of someone you barely know?"

Of course Sora would've said _no_. So when he had asked what "hanging out" consisted of, Riku had told him swimming.

So now Sora sat, in the uncomfortable fold out chair, in nothing but his swim trunks and a pair of sandals. His goggles were around his neck, his towel draped over his shoulder, and he had half a mind to just leave. But he was too nice to just leave. He liked Riku way too much to just leave.

"We could set his apartment on fire," Axel offered.

Riku gave him a look. "Do the words 'criminal record' not mean anything to you?"

"Can we please just go swimming?" Sora half-whined, "Or at least talk about something else?"

The redhead sighed and looked over at Riku. "I thought you said Sora would be _helpful_, not whiny and annoying."

The brunet passed Axel a dirty look. "I'm sitting right in front of you. I can hear what you're saying."

"Oh, right, my apologies…" He walked over to Riku, cupped his hand around his step brother's ear, and began whispering to him.

Sora stood up. "All right, I'm leaving."

"No!" Riku shoved Axel roughly away. "You can't leave! You're supposed to be helping us!"

He rolled his pretty blue eyes. "Don't you guys see something _wrong_ with this? You're trying to teach Zexion a lesson because he _occasionally _insults you. He probably only does that because he's jealous of you two! I mean, you're both rich and good looking and you guyswill probably never have to work a day in your lives. Being mean to Zexion isn't going to solve your problem. Why don't you trying being his friend? Why don't –"

The door to the pool house banged open and Sora, Riku, and Axel all glanced over at Roxas who was sporting a look of extreme displeasure.

"I. Fucking. _Hate_. Zexion."

Riku and Axel exchanged a look with each other and then they both looked at Sora.

"What were you saying?" Riku teased. A groan left the brunet's lips and he flopped down on the fold out chair. At this rate, he was _never_ going to go swimming.

"What happened?" Axel asked.

Roxas shut the door to the pool house with a bang and threw his backpack irritably on the floor. "He's just an asshole!" he yelled. "No matter what I do at the library, he's always criticizing me!"

"You work at the library?" Riku asked.

"Irrelevant." Axel shoved his hand in his step brother's face. "Let me guess. Zexion lobs insults at you and makes snide remarks, even if you're trying to be nice to him?"

The blond nodded. His face was flushed with anger. "Yea! Today I was trying to help Hayner find a book and Zexion kept insisting that if he wasn't smart enough to _find_ the book, he probably wasn't smart enough to _read_ the book. And then when I told him to lay off, he put a check mark next to my name in his stupid little notebook!"

Axel's brow furrowed. "His notebook? What's the notebook for?"

"He thinks he's the supreme overlord of the library, so he keeps this little notebook with him and he writes down _everyone's _name in it and then he puts a check mark next to their name every time they do something wrong." Roxas ran a hand through his mess of blond hair. "And the _actual _supreme overlord of the library is his uncle or grandfather or something and he takes that bullshit _seriously_! I've worked there less than five days and I have like ten check marks next to my name! Zexion is trying to get me fired!"

Sora stood up and walked over to his twin. He placed his hands on his brother's shoulders and squeezed. "Calm down. He's probably just ragging on you because you're new."

"No!" Roxas yelled. "He's just evil! He doesn't care about anyone but himself! It's like he has no conscience, Sora! He made _Naminé _cry because she brought back an art book and one of the pages fell out! He _grilled _her in front of the whole library and when she started to cry, he rolled his eyes and told her not to make a scene! That's _evil_! Pure, unadulterated _evil!_"

Sora slipped his hands from his brother's shoulders and sighed. He just wanted to go swimming. That's all. He just wanted to come over, see Riku shirtless and mentally violate him, and then go home and plot possible ways to make Riku his boyfriend. But nothing was ever that easy.

"Wait a second…"

Axel, Riku, and Roxas all looked at Sora with curious expressions.

"He has no conscience, you say?" The brunet raised a brow. _"_Everyone take a seat. I have a plan." He walked over to Riku and took the white piece of chalk from him.

"What happened to all that 'be his friend' business you were spewing earlier?" Riku asked. He and Axel took seats on the floor and Roxas sat between them on the fold out chair.

"I came over to swim," Sora said as he began to write on the chalkboard. "And even though I don't condone this revenge nonsense _at all_, I know no one is going to go swimming until you guys have your half-assed plan."

"Hooray!" Axel cheered.

After Sora had finished writing what he wanted on the board, he took the yard stick from Axel and tapped it against the word 'question.'

_Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough to figure out what you're up to?  
A. Find someone Zexion doesn't know to act as his conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your revenge plan.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to change his ways or he'll die.  
D. All of the above._

"Now…" Sora began. "_Everyone_ has a conscience. Some people are just better at ignoring it than others. However, everyone feels guilty at some point or another. Since Zexion obviously has some issues treating people nicely, your plan to teach him a lesson should show him that he _has _to change or he's going to die." He slapped the yard stick against the letter 'C.'

Axel and Riku exchanged a look.

"Zexion perceives himself to be intelligent, right?" Sora watched as all three heads nodded. "Getting him to believe that his conscience has manifested into a person in order to help him change his ways will be difficult. Whoever acts as Zexion's conscience will need to know things about him. This is why point B is important." He slapped the yard stick against the letter 'B.' "We need people who know things about Zexion. He might question the hell out of the manifestation and the manifestation has to be able to prove himself."

Riku raised his hand and Sora pointed at him with the yard stick. "Yea, but… What if Zexion asks really personal questions like 'What did I dream last night' or something like that?"

Roxas shrugged. "It's his conscience. It doesn't have to know his dreams. It's there to help him be a good person. All the conscience needs to know is the bad shit Zexion has done to people."

Sora nodded. "Right. And apparently that won't be too difficult because according to you guys, Zexion is pure, unadulterated evil. So we ask around, find out some general things about him, and then we dig up dirt on him so the manifestation has something to throw in Zexion's face."

Axel raised his hand and Sora pointed at him. "Okay, yea great, but… there are three problems with your plan. First of all, who in the world has enough time to waste to follow Zexion around and second of all, he's lived here in this town his whole life. How can we be sure Zexion has never seen or met the person we pick?"

There was silence. They all continued to stare at the redhead and after a few seconds Axel mumbled, "Okay, I'm done talking. Look away."

Roxas gave Axel a look. "Dude, you said three things. What's the third thing?"

"Oh, shit, uhh… Third, if we do pick someone we're sure Zexion doesn't know, that person will know _other people. _Won't that look pretty weird if Zexion's conscience is slapping high-fives with some girl from his English class?"

Riku perked up. "Not necessarily. The conscience is a manifestation, right? So he's allowed to have his own life so he can blend in and keep a watch on Zexion."

Sora nodded eagerly. "Right. Who says a manifestation has to be invisible?"

The redhead thought this over for a moment. "Okay, fine. That's one problem, but what about –"

He was cut off by the sound of the pool house door opening. The pool boy, who looked surprised to see them all there, gave a wave and mumbled something like, "Sorry, am I interrupting? I just need to grab the pool cleaner."

Axel wasn't sure if anyone else saw the golden light or heard the angels sing in a magnificent chorus of _Hallelujah_, but he sure did. It was like fate was begging Axel to teach Zexion a lesson. It was like God himself had reached down, plucked Demyx from whatever state he had come from, and placed him right in the redhead's backyard for a reason.

"Demyx!" Axel stood suddenly. "My favorite man-servant!"

The blond wasn't sure he appreciated the "affectionate" term, but he found it better not to argue with his boss's son. "Hi?" he questioned. Neither Axel nor Riku had paid any attention to Demyx despite them all being around twenty-one years of age. They generally ignored his presence aside from the occasional "hey, what's up?"

"Just the person we wanted to see!" Riku stood suddenly too and Roxas and Sora exchanged a look. Sora's eyes were saying something like, "Fuck me. I didn't mean to involve some innocent bystander in Axel's retardation" and Roxas' eyes were responding with, "You dick. Now you've gone and involved some innocent bystander in Axel's retardation."

"So, Demyx…" Axel walked over to the pool boy and slung an arm around his shoulders. He half-forced the blond over to the couch that sat in the middle of the pool house. "Take a seat. It's hot out today, huh? You want a drink?"

Demyx's eyes narrowed as he sat. It _was_ hot out. He had taken his shirt off and tucked it into the back of his swim shorts for safe keeping, but the way Axel and Riku were looking at him made him want to slip his shirt on. "Um…" His tongue darted out to lick at his lips. "Okay. Sure. I'll have a drink."

Axel snapped his fingers at Riku and then waved his hand dismissively at him. Riku gave him a very cold look, but he did what he was told because he wanted Demyx to agree to be Zexion's conscience. He'd fight with Axel about this later. He wasn't _the help_ and he didn't appreciate being treated like he was.

"So, how long have you been in town, Demyx?" Axel asked. He had his arm around the blonde's shoulders still and was sitting uncomfortably close to him on the couch.

"I don't know. Less than a week? I moved here from New York as soon as your dad hired me."

"Mhm…" Axel purred. Riku came back with a class of ice-cold lemonade and he handed it to Demyx who took it gratefully. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until the lemonade actually touched his lips. He immediately downed the whole glass and then handed it back to Riku who tried to keep his murderous look to a minimum.

Sora chuckled and then immediately stopped when the older boy glared at him. Riku walked off for the second time and deposited the glass in the pool house's sink.

"So, Demy… Can I call you Demy?" Axel cooed.

The blond shrugged. "Sure."

"Fantastic. Now Demy… Have you had a chance to explore the town at all? You know like… the college, the campus, the library... Those kinds of places?"

Demyx shook his head. "No. I've been working a lot. I have a second job at a record shop that's maybe ten minutes from your house."

"What kind of record shop?" Roxas asked as he walked over to the couch and took a seat on the other side of Demyx. "Like… Classical music?"

The blond laughed. "No, like rock music."

Riku, Roxas, and Axel all exchanged a look that the pool boy failed to notice. There was _no way_ Demyx had come into contact with Zexion or vice versa. Though none of them knew Zexion on a very personal level, there were some things they could infer (like whether or not he would be caught dead in a record store).

"So, Demyx…" Riku asked. He took a seat on the coffee table across from the blond. "Can we ask you for a favor?"

The pool boy shrugged. "Sure."

"We have this problem…" Axel traced his finger along Demyx's collarbone. Heat erupted in the blonde's face and Axel controlled the smirk that threatened to overcome his features.

"And it's sort of a _big_ problem…" Roxas spoke the words close to Demyx's ear.

Without warning, he suddenly jumped up from the couch. His face was bright red and he yanked his shirt from the back of his shorts and immediately pulled it over his head. "I'm _not_ filming a porno with you guys! I'm very flattered and… and you're all very attractive! But I feel it would be best if we all kept our relationship on a profess –"

Sora erupted into a small fit of laughter. Axel, Roxas, and Riku exchanged horrified looks with each other and then they looked at Demyx as if he had just suggested they all dip their manhoods in cups of hydrochloric acid.

"Dude, we want you to help us teach some guy we don't like a lesson," Axel explained.

Demyx's blush deepened even further and he cleared his throat. "Oh… Well… In that case, I'm _not_ flattered and no." He made a move to leave, but Axel, Riku, and Roxas were suddenly upon him like a Turkey Vulture on road kill.

"We can make it worth your while," Axel insisted.

"I'm sure you can, but –"

"We can give you anything you want," Roxas interrupted.

Riku and Axel both looked at Roxas with raised brows.

"Sorry – have you married into the family?" Riku asked. "What's this 'we' business?"

His blue eyes rolled. "Excuse me – Dingus Khan and Firecrotch can give you anything you want."

Demyx backed away from them. "Right, and I'm glad you guys think I can help, but I'm really just…" He hesitated, "Well, stupid. I'm really just stupid when it comes to anything outside of pools or lifeguarding."

Axel refrained from pointing out that pools and lifeguards fell under the same category.

"Guys, stop." Sora sighed and shook his head. "If Demyx doesn't want to help, he doesn't want to help."

The blond nodded eagerly and Riku, Roxas, and Axel all backed off. There was silence in the pool house and Demyx wasn't really sure if he could leave. He had never dealt with rich people or rich kids before and he didn't know if he could just leave or if he had to be dismissed by Riku or Axel.

"So…" Sora played with the yard stick in his hands. "What's your biggest dream, Demyx?"

He snorted. "Making my father proud of me." He was half-kidding, half-serious. His father had been pretty angry to learn that his son, a very talented musician, was _not_ going to college, but, instead, was running away from New York to work as a pool boy for some rich guy whose success lay in bottles of expensive cologne.

"And how would you go about doing that?" Riku inquired.

"I'd open up a music store. I mean like… a real music store where you can buy instruments and take private lessons from teachers and stuff. Not like… a music store that sells CDs or whatever." He shrugged. "My dad wouldn't be so pissed off at me for ditching college if I had a successful business."

Axel and Riku exchanged a look with each other.

"Okay, Demy, let's make a deal."

Demyx eyed Axel suspiciously. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for the redhead to speak.

"You help us out with this guy that's giving us a hard time and we'll finance your music store."

His blue eyes went wide and he looked from Axel to Riku and back again. "What? Really?" He paused. "Do I have to kill this guy or have sex with him or something?"

"You obsession with sex is cute, but no," Axel teased. "All you have to do is pretend to be a manifestation of this guy's conscience."

Demyx frowned. "That sounds too easy."

Riku and Axel exchanged a look. "Easy?" they spoke in unison.

"Yea, easy. So, what? I follow him around and make him be good when he's bad. That can't be that hard." He shrugged. "So there's some kind of catch, right?"

"Aside from the fact he's the meanest guy to ever walk the planet, no," Axel said more to Riku than to Demyx.

Sora sighed gently. "Well…" He stepped away from the chalkboard and pointed to the letter 'C.' "You have to convince him he's going to die if he doesn't start being a nicer person. That's kind of a catch."

Demyx reached up and fingered a strand of his hair. He really, really wanted to make his dad proud and show him that he could make it on his own _without _college. He really, really wanted to open up his music store and teach. He really, really wanted to make _real_ money so his dad could stop slumming it in the ghettos of New York.

"Isn't that… Isn't that sort of mean?" the blond asked softly.

Sora blushed and blurted, "It was Axel's idea."

The redhead shot him a dirty look from over his shoulder. "Jeez. Relax, princess. Demyx isn't a cop. Pull up your dress and take some responsibility."

Roxas failed to see the connection between taking responsibility and flashing people, but he didn't voice his opinion on the matter.

"Look, you're just an actor," Riku explained. "The four of us, we take responsibility for whatever happens. You're just the guy we hired to play a part."

The blond bit his lower lip in thought. Was he really hurting anyone by helping the four of them out? He would be getting what he wanted, they would be getting what they wanted, and this guy would learn to be a nicer person. It seemed like a win-win-win to Demyx, but the nagging voice of his own conscience was telling him otherwise.

If he did this, he could get his father out of the ghetto. The whole point of running away was so he could find a way to make enough money to start a life _here_ instead of in New York. The whole point of running away was so he could avoid having to go to college because he _wasn't_ college material. His talent for music may have gotten him accepted to the music school his dad wanted him to go to, but Demyx knew he didn't have the brains for it.

So he ran. And now he was being given the chance to redeem himself.

"Demy?" Axel put a hand on his shoulder. "What do you say?"

All eyes were on him. He felt sweat drip down the back of his neck and he was suddenly aware of how hot the stupid pool house was.

The blond shrugged. "Sure."

Despite the victorious movements the four boys were making, Demyx was pretty sure this was a horrible, terrible, awful idea. He was pretty sure there was _nothing _good about this and he was pretty sure that by the end of this his conscience would be withered and dead.

••••••••••••••

"**I thought you **had a criminal record," Riku whispered irritably.

"I do," Axel whispered back. "But the last time I did this I was drunk. Excuse me for taking more than two seconds to unlock his door."

Demyx was antsy. He was pacing back and forth down the hallway with his hands clasped behind his back. Riku was standing casually by Zexion's door and Axel was fiddling around with the handle. He wanted to get the door open without breaking the lock. Demyx's entrance as Zexion's manifested conscience had to be flawless and there was nothing flawless about a busted lock.

"I don't know if I can do this," the blond confessed suddenly to Riku.

"Too bad. We've been planning Guilty Conscience for a month and a half. You've had all this time to back out and you can't do it now." He hadn't meant to sound so unkind about it, but their plan to teach Zexion a lesson had become taxing. He, Axel, Sora, and Roxas had been so focused on their plan (a plan they had entitled 'Guilty Conscience'), he had begun to fall behind somewhat in school. Riku was very prideful about his grades and this bothered him immensely.

"Got it," Axel murmured when he heard the lock click. It was six in the morning on a Saturday. They had chosen this time because Zexion's apartment complex (a complex they had been stalking the last few weeks) was virtually dead at six A.M. on the weekend. It was minimum security complex. Axel, Riku, and Demyx had strolled in without so much as a word and taken the elevator upstairs. There were no cameras along the hallways which Axel felt was pretty stupid.

"Okay, Dem…" Riku put his hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Guilty Conscience is now totally in your hands."

Axel, who was putting his lock picking tools in his backpack, looked over at the wide-eyed boy. "Don't look so anxious. Zexion is mean, but he's not dangerous. And it's not like we're really doing anything illegal."

"We're breaking and entering," Demyx pointed out.

"Pft." The redhead waved his hand dismissively. "_You're_ breaking and entering. Besides, that's the only illegal thing we're doing and we're only doing it once." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a black notebook. "Here." He offered the notebook to the blonde.

Demyx took the notebook from him with a quizzical look.

"That notebook has the entire plan in it, okay? It's everything we've done over the past four or five weeks. Most of what you need to know about Zexion is in that notebook. If you get stuck, look through it," Axel explained.

"What if he finds it?" Demyx asked in a whisper. "What if he looks through it and -"

"It won't matter." Riku smiled and opened the first page of the notebook. "It's written in code."

The blond looked down at the first few words on the page and then he gave them both a look. "The entire plan is written in Al Bhed?"

Axel shrugged. "It's a language Zexion doesn't know exists."

"That's because it _doesn't_ exist," Demyx pointed out.

"You don't exist," the redhead retorted.

"Enough," Riku whispered to both of them. "Dem, keep us updated on the status of Guilty Conscience, okay?"

Demyx nodded and held the notebook close to his chest.

"Oh, on the last page," Axel said, "there's an evaluation sheet so you can grade Zexion."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Exacting a little revenge on Roxas' behalf?"

"Hey, if Zexion think it's cool to walk around grading people then he won't mind being graded himself," the redhead stated.

Demyx checked his wristwatch. "You guys better go. It's almost 6:10. Zexion's gonna be getting up in like twenty minutes."

Axel and Riku both nodded. They mumbled 'good luck' to Demyx, ruffled his hair and clapped his back, and then they made their way down the hallway and into the elevator. Guilty Conscience was now his job. Sora had been volunteered to be the new pool boy while Demyx was with Zexion. His second job at the record shop had been taken over by Roxas who, lo' and behold, had been fired from the library for undisclosed reasons.

And Demyx, who was now technically a professional stalker, would be living in Riku and Axel's pool house when he wasn't with Zexion. He didn't really mind that so much. He had been living out of a really, really shitty hotel room with his last bit of money and having a free room at a way nicer place was more than fine with him.

He took a deep breath and stashed the notebook Axel had given him into the back waistband of his jeans. He grasped the handle on Zexion's now unlocked door and very quietly let himself inside.

••••••••••••••

**The buzzing of** his alarm clock was an unwelcome sound. He wasn't exactly a morning person, but he preferred mornings because they were quiet. One of the many disadvantages of living near his college campus was how loud the night time tended to be. It was like a never-ending party; a party Zexion was _not_ cordially invited to.

He hit the 'off' button on his alarm clock and sat up in bed. His hands came up to rub at his tired, gray eyes and then he let out a large yawn. Zexion slipped from his bed and stretched his pajama clad body before immediately going to make his bed. His apartment was unusually clean, but only because he never had guests or visitors and he had been taught from a very young age to pick up after himself.

He would've made a good roommate if he didn't detest other people.

After he had finished making his bed, he ambled out of his bedroom and into the kitchen. The sun was rising, throwing strips of early morning sunshine onto the floor of his apartment and creating shadows all across the walls. At one point the shadows had been very unwelcome because when Zexion woke up early, and his brain was refusing to fully function, the shadows would sometimes catch him off guard and he would think they were intruders. Now he was used to them and just ignored him.

Demyx thought Zexion's behavior to be quite strange. He had taken a seat on the countertop and the slate haired boy had walked past him without even so much as a second glance. He watched as Zexion opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice. He watched him retrieve a glass (and then a different glass) from one of the cabinets near the fridge. And then he watched Zexion drop the glass and the orange juice to the floor when he turned and saw Demyx staring intently at him.

"About time." The blond crossed his legs. "You just strolled right by me without even saying 'Hello.'"

Zexion stared. The orange juice he had dropped to the floor was spilling out everywhere and the broken pieces of glass floated lazily in the wake. It was _way_ too early for a breaking and entering. It was _way_ too early for rape, murder, or any other kind of terrible misdeed that would result in definite jail time.

"It's rude to stare, Zexion," he said not unkindly as he slipped from the countertop.

"Don't come near me." He took a few steps back.

Demyx raised a brow. "Whoa, easy boy. I'm just going to clean up the mess." He knelt down and picked up the carton of orange juice. It had a small split down the side and he quickly placed it in the sink so the contents could finish draining out. He then knelt down again and began to pick up the pieces of broken glass.

Zexion watched with slight fascination. If this _was_ breaking and entering, it was definitely the strangest one he had ever been involved in. He had actually never been a victim of crime (he never counted Axel's breaking and entering because that had just been stupid) but he was intelligent enough to know that most criminals didn't stop whatever they were doing just to clean up some spilled juice and a broken cup.

"Who are you?"

"Well, Zexion, what do you think?" he asked gently.

"I think you're some kind of _really_ confused criminal." His chest rose and fell. He was debating whether or not to panic. "And I think I'm going to call the police." Zexion began inching away from Demyx and when it became clear to him that Demyx had no interest in stopping him, he hesitated.

When the blond had most of the broken glass in his hand, he stood and tossed the juice-covered pieces in a trashcan that sat underneath the sink. He then grabbed the paper towels from the countertop and began to sop up the wet mess on the kitchen floor.

"I don't understand." Zexion's brow furrowed. "What are you doing?" He didn't add, "And how in the world did you know where my trashcan was?" because it seemed rather trivial at the moment.

"Cleaning this up," Demyx answered simply.

There was silence between them and Zexion stood, uncomfortably, in the kitchen with the strange boy. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched as the juice he had spilled was so willingly mopped up by someone he didn't know. Someone he had never met. Someone who had probably broken into his apartment, but for what reason?

"Do you have a name?"

The blond nodded. "It's Demyx."

Zexion immediately began searching every part of his memory for the name 'Demyx.' He had always been a name person, _not_ a face person, and he was mildly annoyed when the name 'Demyx' didn't seem to have any kind of place in his memory at all.

"Are you going to bother explaining yourself or are you going to force me to play Twenty Questions?" Zexion muttered irritably.

He threw the juice-covered paper towels in the trash and then he turned his attention to Zexion. Demyx was slightly miffed that _no one_ during the entire planning period of Guilty Conscience had bothered to mention that Zexion was, well…

Hot.

Not that it particularly mattered (in fact, it made Demyx's job as a professional stalker a little more fun), but it really would've been nice to know.

"I'm your conscience."

Zexion stared. He stared and stared and stared and then he said, "Yea. I'm calling the cops. You're obviously a few pages short of a book." He made his way across the kitchen, now unafraid of Mr. Crazy Blond Man, and into the living room. He picked his cell phone up from the coffee table and then turned to Demyx who was watching him curiously from the kitchen. "Last chance to leave."

He shrugged. "If you feel calling the police is the right thing to do –"

"Oh, I get it." Zexion rolled his eyes. "'The right thing to do.' Right, because you're my _conscience_."

Demyx shrugged.

This infuriated the shorter boy. "I don't know if you're crazy or if someone has put you up to this, but I –"

"Fifth grade, Mrs. Gainsborough's class. You stuck her long, beautiful braid in a bottle of industrial glue. You know she had to cut five inches of her hair off? How about in third grade when you shoved Kairi off the top of the jungle gym and broke her collarbone because she won the class spelling bee? We can go to tenth grade when you told everyone Larxene was pregnant and that she smoked and drank until she miscarried." Demyx raised a brow and smirked slightly at the expression on Zexion's face.

"I… She…" He paled considerably. His cell phone was still gripped tightly in his hand and he was heavily debating whether or not to call the police. What if Demyx was a figment of his imagination and _he_ was the crazy one? What if he called the police and then they couldn't even _see_ Demyx?

No. No, that was way too crazy. His brain wasn't functioning correctly because it was only 6:40 in the morning.

"Let me explain." Demyx walked into the living room and Zexion watched him carefully as he took a seat on the couch. "I'm a manifestation of your conscience." Zexion opened his mouth to protest, but Demyx ignored him. "And if you don't start listening to me, you're going to die."

His cell phone slipped from his hand and landed on the carpeted floor with a dull 'thud.'

"I kind of have a problem with the whole 'dying' thing because if _you _die, I die too. So it's in my best interest to keep you from dying and it's in your best interest to stop pissing people off and make amends with the people you've hurt." Despite the serious look on his face, he was now just making shit up. He was just trying to make this as believable as possible.

Zexion's jaw was clenched and he stood completely still. He was searching his mind for who might be capable of such deceit. He was trying to think of people he had pissed off to the point that they would come up with something so wonderfully elaborate. Unfortunately, the more Zexion thought about this, the more he realized that even if this _was_ some kind of strange joke, the list of possible suspects was endless.

"Zexion?"

He jerked his attention toward Demyx and tried to make himself relax.

"You okay there, Champ?"

"Don't call me that."

A low sigh left his lips and he pulled the black notebook from the waistband of his jeans. He opened it to the last page (where Axel had already created an evaluation page for Zexion), removed the pen from the notebook's binding, and placed an 'X' next to the boy's name.

"What is that?" Zexion pointed. He looked completely scandalized. "Are… Are you _grading_ me?"

Demyx closed the notebook and shrugged. "Sure."

"No! Not 'sure!' That's not any sort of affirmation! That's one step above 'maybe!' My question is of the 'yes' or 'no' type! You're either grading me or you're not!" His cheeks were slightly red and he glared hotly at the blond. Under his breath he mumbled, "How is it that _I'm_ of exceptional intelligence, but my conscience is no smarter than a bag of rusted nails?"

Demyx didn't even care he had just been insulted. What mattered was Zexion had just called him _his conscience_. And while he opened his notebook to put another 'X' next to the other's name (Zexion immediately began to protest and argue _why_ the insult was warranted), he couldn't help but smile just the smallest bit.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

* * *

**A/N: **This is about 9,000 words. Most of my chapters are anywhere between 9k-11k words. I try to update as frequently as possible, but school keeps me pretty busy. Generally, you'll find an update of this length (or slightly longer) every two weeks to a month.

**Thank you Aindel S. Druida **for beta-editing this. As some of you know, I shamelessly advertise her because she is amazing. So take a gander at her profile and be amazed by her writing and grammar.

Couple of things: Please, please, **please review**. These chapters take _so long_ to write and I really adore feedback. Because of time constraints with school and work, if this story doesn't generate enough interest I'll just remove it. I hate to be **that author** that does that sort of thing, but I want to know what everyone thinks and if I should continue. I have a feeling I'm already stretching myself pretty thin by posting a new chapter story before _Axel's Fables _is finished so this one is under extra threat of being removed.

Also, this is not a one-dimensional story. I've tried to set up the plot just the way I want it. It's mostly Demyx acting as Zexion's conscience, but there are other things such as Riku and Axel being heirs to Un Monde Parfait, the relationships between Riku/Sora and Axel/Roxas, Demyx's former life in New York, Zexion's own hopes/dreams/fears/etc, and blahblahblah you get the point.

Last thing: There's a reason I didn't detail the month and a half of planning that went into Guilty Conscience.

Thank you for reading.


	2. Starting Small

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **I was quite surprised to see all the reviews this story got. I was content to continue the story with just five reviews, but I'm glad a lot of you have taken an interest in this fanfiction.

**However, there is some bad news**: I now work a second job (at a deli shop) and the manager apparently wants to work me until I bleed from my retinas and/or feet. So, that being said, the updates are _really_ going to slow down. Again – I'll try and have everything out no later than a month, but **please do not be surprised and/or upset **if another chapter doesn't surface until after a month and a half to two months.

**The good news is this**: I refuse to just let any of these stories die. I also _will not_ just suddenly disappear for a long time and then show back up again. I will post various notes/updates/whatever on my profile. So if you think it's been a really, really long time since an update, check my profile to see if I've said anything.

Long note, but I feel it's important to let my readers know what's going on. I hate to leave people hanging (because _I_ don't like to be left hanging) so once I get off work and my retinas stop bleeding, I'll type, type, type until my fingers bleed too.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 1: **Starting Small

**He was exhausted.**

His usual sleeping pattern had been very awkward for the past month (four hours one night, two hours the next, a few minutes of rest during the day) and staying up all night with Riku going over the final details of Guilty Conscience had left him feeling as if he hadn't slept in years. It was seven in the morning on a Saturday and, in Axel's book, a crime to even be awake. He and Riku had returned from Zexion's apartment a few minutes before (very quietly. They knew their dad would have a fit if he caught them sneaking in the house so early in the morning) and now they were dragging themselves up the steps so they could go to their respective rooms and sleep.

"You really think Demyx is smart enough to pull this off?" Riku asked quietly. He had his doubts and he had made them well known throughout their planning of Guilty Conscience.

"Too late to change things now," Axel responded, a large yawn following his statement.

"What happens if the plan actually works?" he asked. They had reached the top of the steps and they stood looking at each other. Axel's eyes were rimmed completely red and Riku, ever handsome no matter what, didn't even look the least bit fazed.

"What do you mean?" the redhead asked. "Just tell me what you're thinking. I'm too tired for telepathy."

Riku crossed his arms over his chest. "We told Demyx we'd finance his music shop if he did this for us, remember? But you know Dad isn't going to go for that. And it's not like we can just take that much money from him. It's wrong and he'll notice."

"But mostly he'll notice," Axel teased. Riku gave him a look and the redhead sighed. "I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead because it's six months down the road _if_ Demyx can even execute the plan. And how much would it honestly cost to finance his little music shop?"

The silver haired boy gave his step brother an indignant look. "Really, Axel? You're supposed to be majoring _in business_ and you don't know how much it would cost?"

"Ugh, Ri, come on. I'm tired. Lecture me about it later, okay?" He waved his hand dismissively at his step brother and began to stalk down the hallway. Riku, who was very tired himself and had no real intention of lecturing Axel, just shook his head and meandered his way to his room. They were going to have a _huge_ problem six months from now if Demyx didn't mess up the plan. They were going to have to find a way to keep their end of the deal without their father disowning them and deciding that they were no longer heirs to his empire.

Riku knew that, somehow, it would become _his_ job to fix things. Axel had mastered the skills it took to sincerely mess things up, but he lacked the ability to put things back together. The redhead didn't much care about his messes or how big and catastrophic they were, but Riku most certainly did. This probably had something to do with the fact that Riku, unlike Axel, had some semblance of a conscience.

He liked to think so anyway.

Axel stepped into his bedroom and quietly closed the door. He dropped his backpack on the ground, stripped his shirt and his pants from his body, and stumbled over to his bed. His blinds were closed and his curtains were pulled shut making his room close to pitch-black. His room was large and, currently, a mess, and he knew that whenever he decided to roll out of bed and amble out his room, Riku's mom would be on him about how "filthy" he was and how he should "really take better care of his things" and how he was _so_ unlike his father.

Like she would know. She was barely ever with his father because he worked all the time and when his father was around, she was usually…

Well, Axel didn't really know _what_ she usually did. Riku didn't either. Aside from the times she had complaints she wanted to voice, Axel and Riku never really saw much of her.

"Where have you been?"

The redhead had the strange sensation of his stomach colliding with his butt when he heard the voice. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he breathed the smallest breath of relief when Roxas threw Axel's blankets off himself and gave his boyfriend a somewhat-serious, somewhat-scornful look.

"I've been waiting for you since six."

"You scared the shit out of me," he mumbled as he climbed into his bed with the small blond. "And I told you I probably wouldn't be back at six." He wrapped his arms around Roxas and pulled him close. Out of habit, he buried his face in the other's mess of golden-colored hair and breathed his scent. "You smell good, Roxy."

Roxas relaxed in the redhead's arms. "Axel, I smell like _you_," he pointed out.

"I know." He squeezed the other. "And I just happen to smell like –"

"Inclination," Roxas interrupted.

This intrigued the redhead. "And how does one smell like an adjective?"

"Not _an adjective_. Inclination," he said. "Like laundry or freshly mowed grass or the burned evening air of summertime."

Axel felt a small smile cross his lips. "Ooh, I get it. Inclination – preference, liking. I smell like the things you like."

Roxas cuddled close to the older boy and pressed a tentative kiss to his collarbone. "I've missed you this past month," he admitted gently. "I mean I've missed being like _this_ with you."

Axel understood what he meant. Everyone knew him and Roxas as friends. Good friends (best friends, Axel would say), but only friends. Of course there was speculation that maybe they were completely gay for each other (this mostly came from Riku who found both Roxas and his step brother's closeness to each other too tender for them to be "just friends"), but they just played it off like normal guys and kept a slight distance from each other in public.

But Roxas was Axel's little secret.

"It'll be better now," he reassured. "My wrist is all cramped up so now I sort of need you." He tightened his arms around Roxas when he felt the blond attempt to pull away. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"Jeez, talk about killing the moment," he teased.

"Let's be honest. We're only having this moment because I'm too tired to do it with you."

Roxas pulled slightly away from his boyfriend and gave him a look of semi-shock. "You're _too tired_ to have sex with me?"

"I know. See what a lack of sleep does to me, Roxy?" Axel ran his hands along the blonde's naked back. He loved how soft and warm his skin was. "I've gone almost a _whole month_ without it."

Roxas opened his mouth to respond, but then he closed it and thought about the redhead's statement. "No you haven't. We did it last week when you came over to my place."

"No, sleep, Roxy. I mean I've gone almost a whole month without sleep. But if you really, really need me _so badly_, I think I can find the energy." Axel smirked and dipped his hands underneath the waistband of Roxas' boxers. He cupped his boyfriend's bottom and offered a light squeeze. "If I was you, I'd be needy too. I mean, come on… Look at me. How can you resist?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "You're killing the mood just like you killed the moment."

Axel sighed in a playful, dramatic manner. "Come on, play along. Compliment me. Tell me you need me. Pretend I've been out to sea for ten months and this is your first night back in my arms."

"I was _trying_ to act that way, but then you told me you only needed me because occasionally your wrist will cramp from jerking off too much." He was trying not to smile, but he couldn't help it. Axel was too carefree, too playful, to be serious around.

"Roxas, Roxas…" He pulled slightly away from the blond and pressed a warm, brief kiss to the other's mouth. "It's a _compliment_. Anyone could get me off, but I'm choosing you. I could choose the watermelon downstairs. Just drill a hole in it and –"

"Okay, okay." Roxas cringed slightly. "I get it and I guess I'm… flattered. Please just stop talking about the shit you'd do to a watermelon." He would never be able to look at watermelons the same way again. Not after that lovely mental picture Axel had just placed in his mind.

"Right, so…" he purred. "Why are your boxers still on?"

Roxas _knew_ Axel was lying when he said he was too tired to have sex.

••••••••••••••

**It was clear **Zexion did _not_ enjoy being graded. Ever since Demyx had placed an ominous 'X' next to his name, Zexion had fallen into silence broken only by occasional, and generally witty, remarks. While the blond was quite used to this type of behavior and was complacent enough to accept it, he had a feeling Guilty Conscience would fall apart if he didn't harp on Zexion about being less of a jerk.

Once the bookish boy began to artfully dishevel his mess of thick, slate-colored hair, Demyx leaned against the doorway of his bathroom and stared.

Zexion ignored him.  
Which, of course, only _encouraged _Demyx to stare even harder.

Zexion shifted in front of the bathroom mirror and shot the blond a brief, contemptuous look. He then brushed his slate hair across nearly half his face, successfully hiding himself from nearly half the world.

And Demyx just stared in the way he used to stare at his dad when he wanted something. He stared and stared and stared (his attention wavering only slightly) and he was only brought back to reality when Zexion shoved past him on his way out of the bathroom.

A heavy sigh left Demyx's lips and he slipped the notebook from the waistband of his pants and flipped to the last page. "This is _never_ going to work, Zexion. At this rate, both of us are gonna die." He marked another 'X' next to the shorter boy's name and closed the notebook, returning it to its original position in the waistband of his jeans.

"Whatever," Zexion responded, his voice neutral. Being already dressed, he crossed the living room and made his way over to the front door of his apartment. He grabbed a pair of shoes that were neutral in color and slipped them on his feet without untying or retying them. Because it was nearly autumn, he grabbed a light jacket from the backside of his apartment door and shrugged it on.

"Ah, are we going out? This is the perfect oppor –"

"_We_ aren't going anywhere. _I'm _leaving," Zexion scowled.

Demyx thought this over for a moment and then he merely shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. I get it. You probably need some time to adjust to the whole 'manifestation of your conscience' thing." He paused and waited for Zexion to confirm or deny his feelings. When he didn't, Demyx continued, "But we sort of don't have time to waste. You've got six months to change or you'll die. Every day counts, Zexion."

He rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the doorknob. With a rough turn, he swung the door open and only paused when Demyx placed a hand on his shoulder. A chill ran down Zexion's spine and, without meaning to, he yanked away from the blond as if offended the other had even _thought_ that touching him would be remotely okay.

Now it was Demyx's turn to scowl. "How about this – either I go with you and you give _yourself_ a chance at a better life or you go by yourself and I pee on some of your kitchen utensils and you spend the afternoon figuring out which ones are covered in piss."

Zexion made a frustrated noise in his throat and gave Demyx an exceptionally murderous look. His hand came to his forehead and he took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling the air along with the words, "Fine. Put your damn shoes on and don't say another word."

Demyx could dig it.

••••••••••••••

"**All right, Zex –"**

"What did I say to you before we left my apartment?" he growled irritably. They weren't even out of his apartment complex and Demyx, who had been quiet when they walked down the hall and quiet when they got in the elevator, had already seemed to forget the vital command Zexion had said to him not two minutes beforehand.

"I hear your _thoughts_, Zexion. I don't need to listen to what you say," Demyx stated matter-of-factly. When they reached the door in the lobby of the complex, the blond pushed it open and walked outside, holding the door for Zexion. The shorter boy strolled past without so much as a glance and he sighed, quite annoyed, when his conscience asked, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"I suppose you're referring to my lack of thanks for your display of chivalry?"

Demyx had to roll these words over in his head before he nodded in affirmation. Sometimes English was like a foreign language to him. He understood better when it came to slang or the short, quick speaking style of New Yorkers, but Zexion spoke slowly and drawled out every letter of every word. Demyx refrained from pointing out that he spoke like a very rich, very old, white lady.

"Right. See? You _do_ know your manners, so just say 'thanks' so we can move along."

Zexion rolled his eyes. "Why is there a need for thanks? I can open the door for myself."

The blond crossed his arms. "Right, but, see… Because I held it open _for you_, you didn't have to do it yourself which means less effort on your part. Here, I'll make it easy: you're welcome – now just say thanks."

Zexion stared at Demyx. "This is stupid."

"Nooo, it's called starting small."

His brow furrowed and he reached up to tangle his fingers in his mess of slate-colored hair. "Fine. Thanks for holding the door open even though I am perfectly capable of doing it myself."

Demyx gave the other a look. "You can't say 'even though' after the 'thanks.' It's like saying 'thanks, but not really.'"

Zexion shrugged. "Take it or leave it." He began walking down the sidewalk and kept himself from grimacing when Demyx began to follow _very _closely behind him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and pretended not to notice his conscience. He tried to just ignore the fact that this six foot tall, blond headed adult was following him around either by the will of fate or the command of someone who _sincerely _did not like him.

"Why is it so hard to say 'thanks'?" Demyx asked, frowning.

"I give my thanks when I feel it should be given. I do not, and I will not, thank people for the simplest, and most useless, acts of "kindness."" He used air quotes to emphasis the falsity of kindness. "And before you begin your litany of why I _should_ be thankful or how unconditional kindness _does_ exist, let me inform you, Mr. Conscience, that I do not believe in trifling matters such as kindness without question."

Once again he had to roll the words around in his head until his brain found smaller, better matches for the harder words Zexion used.

"It does exist though…" Demyx insisted. "Unconditional kindness, I mean. It does exist."

Zexion scoffed. "Does it? Do people really help one another solely out of the supposed goodness they have in their hearts? Or are they helping each other because, in the end, it means less karma? It means getting into heaven? It means that, in the afterlife, things will be good for you because you've been good while alive? And, if that _is _truly the case, then there is no such thing as selflessness or unconditional kindness because everyone is out to make their life or their afterlife a better one. People act kindly to absolve their guilt, to balance the darkness in their hearts, and the only way to succeed in a world so cold and cruel is to bite before you get bitten."

It took Zexion a moment to realize Demyx had stopped walking. He paused and glanced over at his shoulder, a light blush coming to his cheeks when he noticed the very _strange_ look his conscience was giving him. He cleared his throat awkwardly and then mumbled something along the lines of, "Have you forgotten how to walk?"

"You're fucked up. It's a good thing I'm here," the blond said brightly after a few moments of silence. "I knew you were in danger when your mom didn't hug you enough as a child… I said then that I should help you out, but noooo – they wanted me to wait. And now look at you – all hollowed out and husk-like. You're like Shigeo Tokuda's ass: worn-out with a hole no one can properly fill." Demyx strode past Zexion, his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face.

Indignation passed the slate haired boy's face and his mouth was slightly propped in disbelief. "Did… Did you really just liken my philosophical harangue to the ass of a 75 year old porn star?"

Demyx shrugged and was a little pleased when he heard Zexion's footsteps patter lightly against the sidewalk in an attempt to catch up with him.

••••••••••••••

**The 8:00 A.M. **bus was more crowded than Demyx had expected. Though it was Saturday and therefore still a work day, he had expected the bus to be mostly empty or at the very least free of kids who looked no older than Zexion.

"So…" Zexion, who had been staring thoughtfully out the window, mumbled.

Demyx turned his attention to the smaller boy. "Yes?" he asked. They were sitting right behind the bus driver and Zexion had taken his normal seat next to the window; a seat that had once belonged to Axel.

"How does it work, exactly?" his voice was very quiet compared to the roar of the bus moving along the pavement. "How did you even come into being?"

It had never occurred to Demyx (or Axel or Riku) that Zexion would be less interested in how much Demyx knew about him and more interested in the process of manifestation and how, exactly, the whole idea of a conscience worked. And Demyx, who had never been fabulous at thinking on his feet when it came to actual knowledge, was discovering that he was actually quite good at lying and bullshitting.

He sort of had a talent for it.

"I just… sort of appeared," the blond offered. "I've always existed, you know? I've just existed in your head. But obviously you've got a really thick skull because you haven't heard a word I've been saying. Or maybe," he reached out and ruffled Zexion's hair and Zexion jerked away a bit spastically. "Or maybe it's all that _hair_ that's been blocking out my voice."

"Could it be that maybe I've been ignoring you?" Zexion asked coldly. "Perhaps I'm not _interested _in doing the right thing because maybe I don't believe in strictly right or wrong because maybe everything is just shades of gray."

Demyx made a dismissive noise and waved his hand. "Sorry, Champ. No such luck. Even if things are shades of gray, you can still find a way to do the right thing."

"But the right thing for whom?" Zexion asked. He blushed when he noted how eager he sounded. He couldn't help it. Even if Demyx was just some weird guy agreeing to play a cruel joke on him, Zexion couldn't help but maybe be the _slightest_ bit relieved that he had someone to talk to. Not that he particularly enjoyed the fact that it was someone who was very clearly nowhere near his level of intelligence, but it was nice to not be sitting in silence, all by himself, for once.

"It depends," Demyx mused. "It depends on the situation and the people in it. Sometimes it's okay to be selfish and do things the way you want. Sometimes it's okay to get your way."

Zexion frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He looked out the window and sighed softly as the bus flew past the other cars on the street. "I want my way all the time," he stated, a hint of defiance lacing his quiet voice. "I want things to be _my way_."

"Right. And I'm going to help change that."

Zexion refrained from saying he didn't want to change.

••••••••••••••

"_**How's it going?"**_

Demyx read the text message from Riku over and then quickly responded, "Hook, line, and sinker." He had gotten off the bus with Zexion a few moments ago and followed him a block to a nearby grocery store. Demyx never asked what they were doing or where they were going because he was content to just _be_. He was happy enough to just go with the flow. He was like water in that respect. He could float downstream all day without a worry or a care.

"My conscience has a cell phone?" Zexion raised his brows questioningly as he grabbed a shopping basket near the entrance of the store.

"Your conscience has spies and allies. I can't be all over you all the time, you know. Even _I _need to catch a break from you every now and then." He playfully elbowed the smaller boy and when Zexion didn't smile (and actually managed, somehow, to look even less amused than usual), Demyx stopped and awkwardly cleared his throat. "But, you know, I have bitches I got…" He paused. "I _have_ to contact," he corrected.

Zexion ignored this too and, instead, began to stroll through the produce section of the store. Demyx slipped his phone into his pocket and made a mental note to avoid using it too much around Zexion. Why a conscience would have a cell phone, Demyx wasn't sure. Though he knew it _surely_ was not for "bitches."

They were silent as Zexion picked out various vegetables and fruit. Every now and then, the shorter boy would toss small looks to Demyx (as if debating whether or not he was actually trustworthy) and when Demyx would look at him questioningly, Zexion would pretend he hadn't been doing anything at all.

"What am I thinking?" Zexion asked as closely examined a bunch of bananas. He put them down and then grabbed a different bunch. "You stated earlier that you hear my thoughts. What am I thinking?"

Demyx arched a blond brow and a tiny smile crossed his lips. "You're thinking, 'I can't wait to lube up these bana –'"

He was not at all prepared for the sudden blow. Zexion had swiftly kicked his feet out from under him and he was shocked and slightly dazed when he realized that he was, suddenly, on his back on the floor of the produce section. Apparently Axel and Riku had also neglected to mention that Zexion was a ninja.

"Actually…" Zexion stood over him, a small smirk gracing his lips. "I was thinking 'I wonder if he sees this coming.' I suppose this means you can't read my thoughts at all." He stepped over Demyx and he was feeling quite satisfied with himself, but the satisfaction quickly wore off when he was suddenly sent toppling to the floor. He dropped his grocery basket and the few contents in it were sent rolling across the floor.

Demyx, who had grabbed Zexion's ankle and yanked him down, proceeded to claim a spot on top of the other. "Oh my. And look at how our positions have changed," he said brightly as Zexion writhed and swore underneath him. "I suppose this means you _still_ aren't listening to me or you would've known I was about to knock you on your ass."

Zexion let a string of obscenities and idle threats leave his lips and this caused the smile on Demyx's face to widen.

"I think an apology is in order. You can't go around testing your conscience and then knocking him down. That's grounds for death by castration. So you just apologize to me and I'll get off you."

Zexion gave Demyx a look that said something like, "Get off me now or I'm going to sodomize you with the wide end of a tennis racket." But the blond didn't budge and instead he sat, quite happily, on top of the now silent, very murderous looking boy.

"Just say sorry. Want me to make it easy again?" Zexion didn't confirm or deny and Demyx sighed. "Okay. I forgive you. Now just say sorry. This is starting small, Zex, and if you can't even manage the easiest points of etiquette, we're both doomed."

"The only person who's going to be doomed here is _you_," he stated darkly. "I _strongly_ suggest you remove yourself from my body at once or I'll –"

"You'll what?" Demyx asked playfully. "I'm your _conscience_. Doing something bad to me is a one-way ticket to Hell." He shifted on top of smaller boy. "Literally." He tangled his hands in the other's mess of hair, causing goose bumps to erupt on Zexion's legs and arms. He didn't like being touched. Close, personal contact made him _extremely _uncomfortable and, on occasion (much like now), angered him.

"Stop it." He tried to wiggle his hands out from under Demyx's legs, but the blond had them pinned. "Stop it _now_."

The blond ignored him, much too absorbed in how soft and luscious Zexion's hair actually was. It looked so brittle, so thick and heavy and somewhat dooming. It probably didn't help that his hair was gray in color. It loomed over him like the proverbial storm cloud that ruled his attitude.

"HELP! HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED!"

Demyx, who only _seemed_ impervious to embarrassment, felt his cheeks darken considerably. Out of panic, he tried to cover Zexion's mouth to stop him from yelling and screaming. He hissed an embarrassed "shh" at the smaller boy, but Zexion continued to flail about and yell and Demyx, who should have had enough sense to get _off_ the other, was too panicked to do much else but try and use his hands to shut the other up.

Panic made his brain shutdown completely. Panic was what made him run from the cops the first time a policeman tried to pull him over. Panic was what made him run away from New York to work for Axel and Riku's father. Panic was what was making him cover Zexion's mouth instead of actually moving off him.

"Excuse me."

Demyx, who had managed to wriggle his fingers into Zexion's mouth (much to Zexion's extreme displeasure), looked up at the tall, agitated man. A small, embarrassed smile came across his features and before he could explain himself, Zexion wiggled his arms free and gave the blond a rough, unceremonious shove off his body.

"I'm going to have to ask the both of you to kindly leave the premises. This is a grocery, not a playground."

Zexion's cheeks flared in a combination of embarrassment and rage. He collected himself and, once he was standing, he breathed a heavy, quick breath and addressed the manager of the store. "I am well aware that this is _not_ a playground," he snapped, clearly annoyed by the other's assumption that he didn't know the difference between a grocery store and a children's outdoor play area. "But you seem to be unaware that_ I_ was not the one causing the commotion. _He_ attacked _me_." He pointed at Demyx who was sitting on the ground, watching the scene before him. Upon being pointed at, he waved and smiled.

The manager looked at Demyx and then back at Zexion. He crossed his arms and raised his brows, his features clearly stating something like, "_That_ dopey guy attacked _you_?"

This only caused more heat to rush to Zexion's cheeks. "You can believe me or not, but I assure you that I was not the one who commenced this nonsense!"

Demyx's eyebrows came together. "Whoa there, Champ. You can't lie. You're so far in the hole that even small lies aren't okay."

Zexion glared hatefully at Demyx. "I'm not lying," he growled through gritted teeth.

The blond stood, wiped the butt of his jeans off, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't start this. You were the one who knocked me down first, remember? This is what happens when you test your –"

His hateful glare increased and he quickly interrupted Demyx, "That's _not_ how that happened. Now kindly _shut your mouth_."

He shook his head. "The more you lie, the worse this is going to get…"

The manager loudly cleared his throat, interrupting the building argument. "I'm not really interested in which of you started this or not. You have created a scene and I just feel it would be best if both of you left."

Zexion's jaw was clenched tightly and his small hands were balled into tight fists. His face was hot from humiliation and anger and when Demyx put a hand on his shoulder and mumbled something like, "Don't freak out. Let's just leave. It's the right thing to do," Zexion completely lost his cool.

He jerked away from Demyx, his eyes alight with fury. "I swear to _God_, if you touch me one more time, I'm going to brain you. Do you understand me?" He gripped the front of Demyx's shirt and yanked the taller boy down toward his face. "I. Will. Brain. You. If. You. Touch. Me. Again."

"All right. That's enough. I think you'd better calm down before we have to get the authorities involved." The manager reached out to yank Zexion away from Demyx, but the slate haired boy gave him a look that made him stop.

He pushed the blond away from him and began to berate the store manager. "What did I just say? I just told this bigot here to _not_ touch me and your first response is to attempt physical contact? Is that supposed to make me calm? Being touched by you? I suppose being intelligent is not a requirement to manage a grocery store chain –"

Demyx cringed, "Zexion…"

"What are you, anyway? A high school graduate? Or were you unable to even make it that far and you opted to get your G.E.D? I doubt you have any college education and I sincerely doubt you'll ever be anything more than a lowly grocery store manager who gets his jollies by running out young men who don't _deserve _to be run out –"

"Um, Zexion," Demyx tried again. "It's your conscience speaking and _you're killing us right now_."

He ignored the blond. "Is this the way you work out all your inner anger at the world? Perhaps this is how you justify the excessive bullying you suffered under when you were a child? You walk around and pick fights with seemingly smaller, weaker men to feel better about yourself? Maybe boss your employees around to feel superior? Well, let me tell you, Mr. Store Manager, you're just a minimum wage earning joke who –"

It came as no surprise when the man reeled back and punched Zexion square in the face.

"_Oh boy…"_ Demyx thought as he quickly grabbed Zexion and restrained him. _"We'll _actually_ both be dead in six months if this is how he always acts."_

••••••••••••••

**Axel crept quietly **across his bedroom floor. He was naked and _quite_ satisfied with what he and his boyfriend had just accomplished. Roxas, who was now asleep, was on his side in Axel's bed, a thin sheet covering his body from the hip down. He looked good like that. He looked _really_ good like that.

To Axel, Roxas was perfection. His sun-kissed complexion, his wide, blue eyes, his soft, golden blond head of hair, the slight dips and curves of his somewhat feminine body… The way Roxas breathed Axel's name always gave the redhead goose bumps and in a _very_ good way. The way Roxas would sometimes ghost his hands over Axel's body always caused the hair on the back of his neck to rise.

Being with Roxas was being in a constant state of anticipation. Axel always hoped one touch would lead to another; one kiss would lead to another… Whenever Roxas let his name flow past his lips in that sensual, breathy manner, Axel _always_ felt like he was at the top of a tall rollercoaster. He _always_ had that feeling of anticipation, of excitement, and sometimes of fear.

Sometimes the fear was the best part because Axel _liked_ risky business. He loved to toy around with fate and his future. He liked knowing he could control what happened next. He could bring everything down – his inheritance, his relationship with his father, his entire future – with just two simple words.

"_I'm gay."_

The words were an atomic bomb and he was Hiroshima and Oppenheimer at once.

Axel grabbed his cell phone from his backpack and searched for Demyx in his contact list. He was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but he was also anxious to know how it was going. Though it was only almost nine or so in the morning, Axel had a feeling that if things hadn't gone as planned, Demyx would have called or showed back up at their house.

Unless Zexion killed him. That was possible.

The redhead began to type out a text message, but he immediately dropped his phone when someone suddenly knocked on his door. Startled and feeling panic rise into his chest, Axel rushed over to his door. He swore when he remembered he was naked and he quickly found a pair of boxers on his floor and yanked them onto his legs. He stumbled (his room really was a mess) to his door and quickly jerked it open.

"What?" he sighed when he saw Riku standing there holding his cell phone.

"Demyx just told me Zexion believes him." There was a mixture of excitement and doubt on his features, but the redhead, excited that things were going as planned, couldn't help but ignore his step brother's uncertainty.

"Seriously?" Axel whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Riku asked.

The redhead blushed slightly. "I.. well, I … it's…"

Riku's eyes lit up and he smirked. "Having a sleep over?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "None of your business."

"Oh come on! Who is she? Is she cute?" he questioned. "Do I know her?" He stood on his tip toes, but it was no use. Axel was much taller than Riku and it was clear the redhead didn't want his step brother to know who "she" was.

"Tell me," Riku demanded (he would have whined, but he didn't think he was capable. He seldom whined because it made him feel stupid to do so).

"I don't kiss and tell," Axel said. "Sorry."

Riku rolled his eyes. "It's probably a dude."

"Shut up," he growled, trying not to be too defensive and failing. "Just because you're gay doesn't mean everyone else in the world is."

"I'm _not_ gay," he snapped. Axel smirked and Riku glared. Though Riku was very suspicious of Axel, _everyone_ was suspicious of Riku. The silver haired boy had been very popular in high school and he had had no trouble getting girlfriends, but college proved to be much different. Girls often wanted Riku as their "best friend" and _not_ their boyfriend and on more than one occasion, he had been rejected because "he was gay."

"Sure you're not," Axel teased. "But as far as I'm seeing it, I've got a girl in my bed and the only company you've got is your hand."

Riku arched a brow. "Having a girl in your bed doesn't mean anything. And, about a month ago, weren't you sort of throwing yourself at Demyx?"

"Yea, I was using my good looks to charm him into doing us a favor," he stated playfully.

"Yea, okay. How do you know Demyx is gay exactly?"

Axel smirked. "Before he knew who I was, he kept hitting on me."

Riku chuckled and shook his head. "He's a real character. Too bad he's dumber than a bag of hammers."

"Hey – that's not fair. He got Zexion to believe he was his conscience. A bag of hammers can't do that."

"That's because a bag of hammers doesn't have a mouth." Riku shrugged and then stretched. "Anyway, I'm going to sleep. Demyx said he'd update us later."

Axel nodded and before he had a chance to go back into his room, Riku mumbled something the redhead didn't quite catch.

"Huh?" he asked. "What was that?"

He hesitated. "I asked if you think Roxas is gay."

Axel couldn't help the catlike smile that appeared on his features and he shrugged. "I don't know. But if he is, I'll give him your number." The redhead winked and retreated into his bedroom before Riku could reiterate that he _did not _have a thing for guys.

"And even if I was gay," Riku mumbled to himself as he walked down the hallway. "I would obviously go for Sora."

Because he liked sassy brunets, _not_ sassy blonds.

••••••••••••••

**He had only **been afraid of reality once or twice. Given he was much more frightened by the concepts of monsters, aliens, ghosts, demons, possession, and the unknown in general, reality never scared Demyx much. He could recall the times he had been afraid of reality: when he realized he wasn't going to college and he had to break the news to his dad, and directly after that when he realized that he would probably be nothing more to his old man than a severe disappointment.

But sitting on a park bench with Zexion scared Demyx more than he could accurately describe. Though the blond was quite used to rowdiness and getting into trouble, especially in public, it was clear Zexion was _not_, and the public humiliation they had just suffered had obviously taken a toll on him. The area slightly under his eye was already swelling and when Demyx suggested they get an ice pack or something cold, Zexion gave him the most murderous, stir crazy look the blond had ever seen.

And it shut him up quicker than his father's belt could have ever wished to do.

Apparently, Demyx had misjudged Zexion somewhat. He had heard the horror stories about him from Axel and Roxas, but he figured they had embellished quite a bit. It was true that he had thumbed through the notebook and embossed in his memory a few of Zexion's less than golden moments so he could repeat them, but…

Demyx had sort of been figuring that Zexion was no better or worse than the next guy and had had him pegged simply as a somewhat introverted and jaded young adult. The whole "unadulterated evil" thing Roxas had been pushing had seemed really extreme at the time, but as they sat there in that awkward and tense silence, Demyx realized that there _was_ something wrong with Zexion and there was a distinct possibility that he _didn't _have a conscience at all.

So maybe it was fate that had led them to each other. Maybe it was in the cards that he was meant to teach Zexion a lesson. It probably sounded pretty crazy, but maybe fooling Zexion into thinking he was going to die was just the catalyst to speed up the process of changing him into a better person. And maybe Axel and Riku were just acting by the will of fate.

But probably not. More than likely this was just some really, really absurd coincidence.

"You shouldn't have been so cruel to him," Demyx said after a few moments.

Zexion, who had been sitting with is face in his hands, slowly lifted his head and gave the blond boy next to him a very, very nasty look. "Don't speak."

In an attempt to lighten the mood, he half-sung, half-mumbled, "I know just what you're thinking, so please stop explaining. Don't tell me cause it –" He stopped and hastily shut his mouth when he saw how furious, how _deadly_, Zexion looked.

"You're an embarrassment to the human race."

"It's a good thing I'm your conscience then! If I were human, you'd probably be right," Demyx replied brightly.

But the brightness in his face did nothing to soothe Zexion and, instead, the shorter boy stood up from the bench and began to quickly walk away from the blond and his antics. Of course Demyx immediately began to follow him and when Zexion heard his approaching footsteps, he shoved his hand into the pocket of his jeans and dug out his iPod and headphones. This was how he ignored people he didn't want to speak to. This was how, when he felt particularly angry, he drowned out all the things that could turn him violent.

"Zexion." Demyx reached his hand out to touch the other's shoulder, but quickly retracted when he remembered the scene in the grocery store. "Zexion, wait."

The slate-haired boy gave Demyx a look from over his shoulder. He held his headphones in one hand and waited for the blond to speak. This guy _definitely _owed Zexion an apology. There was no way Demyx was his conscience because how in the world could his conscience be so… so…

_Infuriating_? And so stupid?

"Remember when you said you'd brain me in the grocery store?"

Zexion, somewhat confused, gave a slight, hesitant nod and put one of his ear-buds in his right ear.

"Well, you know… It's just… You should know that braining means to… you know, give head. Like deepthroat. Like you go so far down, it touches your brain."

Zexion was torn between disgust and shock and he opened his mouth to explain that 'to brain' someone meant to beat them until their brains came out, but then he realized it probably wasn't worth the effort. So he just breathed a heavy sigh through is nose, shoved the other ear-bud into his left ear and turned his iPod on, fully intent on ignoring Demyx until the blond just gave up and went back to whatever asshole decided to play this silly little prank.

Unfortunately for Zexion, Demyx was quite used to being ignored. Though he and his father had a good relationship (up until the blond ran away), his father had often ignored a majority of the things Demyx said or did. He didn't do it to be mean, he had just learned that Demyx sometimes did _really _stupid things and sometimes it was just better (and easier) to pretend like he hadn't noticed. So Demyx followed Zexion like a lonely animal. He followed him through the park, past the playground, around an elementary school, and then through suburbia where younger kids were out playing because it was a cool, autumn morning.

Neither of them said anything. Though Demyx was a pusher, it had never occurred to him once that Zexion wasn't exactly like everyone else. It had never occurred to him that maybe Zexion didn't quite understand Demyx's strange behavior. While most people took the blonde's goofiness in stride, it was clear Zexion was not used to public embarrassment or having attention drawn to him like that. They had been together less than four hours and Demyx was already learning some very important facts that Riku and Axel had neglected to pen in the notebook.

Zexion didn't like being touched. When he became emotional, he also became venomous. When he became venomous, the situation spiraled quickly out of control.

Demyx liked to think maybe today – the scene in the grocery store – was just a fluke, but just like Zexion's ability to quickly infuriate others by finding out what bothered them most, Demyx was able to see very clearly that Zexion was vicious and he pushed people to their breaking points.

And the blond had to wonder… Did Zexion know his own breaking point? And how long would it be before the slate-haired boy laid into Demyx just like he had done to that store manager? More importantly – how in the world would Demyx cope with something like that? How in the world would he be able to come back from being torn down and told _exactly _what a loser he was?

A sigh parted his lips and he followed Zexion at a slower pace. Obviously hounding the other and teasing him was only going to make things worse. He had to take a different approach – a less Demyx-esque approach – to transform Zexion into a better and nicer person. In order for Guilty Conscience to succeed, he was going to have to find a way to tailor his message to the shorter boy without being beheaded or castrated in the process.

He _might_ take getting brained though. Zexion had a _hot _body, but his icy attitude and cold demeanor was enough to keep Demyx at bay. Who knew what kind of blowjob Zexion gave? Probably one with lots of teeth and little tenderness or sympathy.

"_It's ironic…" _Demyx thought to himself as a group of children on bicycles passed them. _"I'll feel guilty if I break my promise to Axel and Riku, but I don't – and I won't – feel guilty at all if this guy actually believes he's going to die from being an asshole."_

Zexion glanced over at his shoulder to see if Demyx was still following him and he found himself torn between annoyance and something he couldn't quite place. It most certainly wasn't guilt. Demyx deserved to be ignored for being so cruel to Zexion. It wasn't anger either, nor was it sadness, it was…

Hopelessness. Annoyance and hopelessness.

Because he wasn't capable of being a good person and it wasn't his fault, either. People just… did something to him.

They walked out of suburbia and took a right, walking down a sidewalk that led to a bus stop. Zexion took a seat on the bench under the overhang and Demyx chose to stand. He leaned his long body against the pole of the overhang and they waited for the bus.

They didn't speak.

When the bus came and they got on, they didn't speak. When they sat in the spot they had sat in before, they didn't speak. When the bus pulled off from the stop and drove them to a rather large, old-looking bookstore, they didn't speak. And when they got off the bus and went into the bookstore, they didn't speak.

And for Demyx, this was absolute agony and he hoped his face wasn't giving him away.

Zexion pulled his headphones from his ears and offered a nod to the man behind the counter. "Did you receive a new shipment last week, Vexen?"

"No," he replied somewhat coldly. "Who's your friend?" He nodded toward Demyx and Zexion just offered the blond a semi-distressed look.

"No one," Demyx said quickly. "What I mean is… I just walked in behind him."

Vexen grunted something under his breath and Zexion, relieved and thankful, made his way to the back corner of the bookstore and began to look through the various books. He should say thank you. He knew he should. And his mind had never nagged him before about politeness, but… But now that Demyx was here… Well, maybe it _was_ Demyx nagging him from afar. Because maybe Demyx really _was_ his conscience.

It seemed plausible, Zexion supposed. After all, what lunatic would voluntarily choose to spend this much time with someone as awful as him?

* * *

**A/N: **This is late and I'm super sorry. Again, I just picked up a second job plus I'm doing school. On the upside, spring break is next week which means I'm going to try and turn out the next chapter of _Axel's Fables _as well as another chapter for _Guilty Conscience_. I really don't think the next chapter will be late because even if it doesn't come out next week, I'll have most of it written by the end of spring break.

Thanks for all the support and all the reviews. I'm still really shocked this story got as many reviews as it did. Thank you guys **so much** for your support. It's really amazing.

Also, thank you **Aindel S. Druida **for editing. She is a fantastic editor and a fantastic writer. Take a gander at her profile and immerse yourself in a world of proper grammar and excellent prose.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Zellicy: **I'm really glad you like this so much. I was super hesitant to post it because I was worried the idea was tired and worn-out. I do try and give each character his/her own personality because I think it gives the story more depth. I also think it adds to the plot. Please follow this. It would make my heart sing.

**IchiakiI: **It definitely took me a while to decide which couple would be good for this story. I eventually picked Zemyx because I could do a subplot with Riku/Axel/Roxas/Sora which is good because I couldn't think of a good subplot for Demyx/Zexion.  
I did look up mung, but I have learned from looking up the word 'carbuncles' that using google images is NOT a good way to find out about new words. So I used normal google search and that is some sick, sick, sick shit (thought highly entertaining to read about).  
Yea, I like my Axel smart, but in a more aloof manner. He isn't in your face about being intelligent (like Zexion), but he isn't constantly suggesting / stating he's stupid (like Demyx). He has bouts of intelligence which I think is sort of refreshing.  
I'm really excited you're so excited about this story. I was, and have been, really unsure about this idea so I'm glad you're looking forward to what happens next!

**Dellums: **Hahahaha. I'm glad my stories come off as real. The situations in them are always a little exaggerated, but I try and explain it by offering up an explanation later on (in this case the last line of this chapter gives a little insight as to why Zexion sort of believes Demyx about the whole conscience thing). I find the slightly obsessive compulsive behavior you have to be funny. Sometimes I see things on Amazon that I would like to buy, so I leave the window open until I have money for the purchase. I don't know why I leave it open, but I believe it's out of convenience.

**Yumerin: **I decided Sora should come up with the idea because it's a very _Sora_ idea. It isn't one of Axel's plans (which would be to maim Zexion in some way) or one of Riku's plans (which would be to emotionally maim Zexion in some way). It's a "well, if you're REALLY going to do this, at least do it so he learns a lesson at the end of it all." I think that's very Sora-esque revenge.  
As far as Axel and Riku go – I don't know why, but I've always seen them as being close (either as best friends or brothers or something like that). Never dating or hooking up or anything. Just platonic, close friends.

**We'llmakeyoufuckinsick: **Zexion, for whatever reason, just seems like the kind of person who has some really slight obsessive compulsive tendencies (like picking the second cup, the second bunch of bananas, etc). I think it's because most really intelligent people are, in some way or another, eccentric, and Zexion isn't all that different.  
I also like Demyx being able to bullshit and think on his feet the way he does. He isn't as book-smart as those around him, so I like that he's a good liar and good at making things up when put on the spot. I don't like to think of Demyx as wholly stupid and it annoys me when he gets written that way.

**Aristicats11: **I actually did take the time to plot this one out because I'm already seeing minor plot holes in_ Axel's Fables_. Originally, the plot for that story was super one-dimensional and then it exploded into something I couldn't control. Oh well.  
Thank the awesome grammar on my beta. You can always tell what she's edited and what she hasn't. My grammar REALLY sucks sometimes.  
I'm glad you like the length! A lot of people are put off / intimidated by it (which is fine. I wouldn't read my own writing). However, because my updates are sometimes spread a month apart, I would feel bad putting out a 2,000 word chapter (then again, if each chapter was only 2,000 words, updates would be a lot sooner!).

**Mistytail: **This review makes me smile. Lucky for you, this isn't wholly Zemyx and I'm really going to try to focus on both plots (well… both MAJOR plots. I'll mess around with minor plot points too). I didn't with _Axel's Fables _so much because I thought it would annoy people (I also felt like maybe it was a little misleading to label it 'Axel x Roxas,' but then have chunks taken out for solely Riku and Sora). I also never meant to have so many other plots going on in the background. Curse my lack of foresight.

**Usuilove21: **Damn. Thank you. I'm glad you enjoy my writing so much! And yes – you're absolutely right. A lot of people _don't_ realize how long it takes to write chapters. I speculate that perhaps it's because a lot of people are either younger (and by younger, I mean 13-16) or they don't write a lot themselves (I know for some it's a lack of commitment to the reader, so it doesn't really matter to them how long the chapter is or how frequent they update).  
Yea! I can't figure out why people don't like Zemyx! The section on ffnet is so stupidly TINY and it drives me crazy! Who isn't in love with the idea of a fun-loving, super goofy slacker chasing after the (possibly) psychotic, jaded bookworm? That's good shit!

**Neitzarr: **I actually went back through the chapter and reread where I introduced Sora to make sure I hadn't written something like "oh, he just met Axel and Riku" or something like that. But, I see what you mean. I was a little vague about their friendship. However, I hope this chapter clears it up. I had to be vague because I didn't want to drop any hints about Axel and Roxas and as far as Sora and Riku go, I think that's going to be more of a… They've known _of_ each other (high school and whatnot) and _now_ they hang out and are friends. I'm not sure yet.

**CrazyPretz: **Bahahahaha! I love this review. I love how you're threatening to stalk/make me write if I remove this story. That's pure hilarity. I'm glad you like it so much and I'm glad you think everyone is in-character. I was just afraid of WAY overdoing Zexion (it's really easy to do! Same goes for Demyx – people make him really, really stupid to the point of borderline retardation).

**Sana-chan9: **Sana-chaaaan. Always tapping my stories' asses, always favoriting or alerting, and trying to make yourself my favorite reader (okay – you probably weren't trying to make that happen, but you did). I knew I had to continue this if you reviewed it. ;D

**SSanity: **I feel the same way. I love Demyx x Zexion just as much as I love Axel x Roxas (something about the tall, goofy slacker going after the moody and/or jaded short guy is HOT). I hate how tiny the Zemyx section on ffnet is and how it's filled with mediocre stories / writing. I also happen to loathe the way a lot of people write Zexion and/or Demyx. I see Zexion as being snarky, rude, and callous, but not outright vicious unless really pushed to his breaking point. Because of this, I vomit in my mouth a little bit when people insist on writing him as consistently calling Demyx names / putting him down. Don't get me wrong – I can definitely see Zexion getting fed up and flipping out on Demyx (who probably deserves it a little), but I don't see him just walking around being outrageously abusive.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Hooooray! Please be a pimp. I love it when people pimp my stories. Not so in love with pimping when people try to pimp _me_, but hey, do whatever you want with my stories (except copy them). I can dig it.

**Catch the Stillicide: **Originally, the last bit of chapter one wasn't included, but I wanted to give people a glimpse of what the story would be like instead of just writing a preface. I'm glad you like it so much. I'm pretty excited to get to continue!

**TheCloakedNocturneXV: **Hahahaha. I was a terrible English student (though my beta was probably the best English student ever), but that's because I didn't start learning English until I was like… eight or something. It's also probably because I didn't really want to learn English because IT'S FUCKING HARD.  
…Ahem. Excuse the outburst. Yes! I try and place the characters in college or as adults (and if in high school, they're seniors/juniors) because I'm not incredibly friendly with the typical teenaged high school bullshit. I like angst. I like drama (…story drama, not real life). But I hate whiny, angsty, teenaged bullshit. I don't know why, but I just do.

**FiveTrek: **If I had to deal with someone like Zexion every day, I would be in jail for attempting murder. I know extremely unpleasant people and I hate being forced to deal with them (especially when they believe they're entitled to the moon and the stars). However, writing people like that is very fun. I do enjoy his anal-ness (teehee) over the ten cents. It feels so very… Zexion.

**Mizukicrandall: **It's funny that you say that because my issue with the Zemyx section on ffnet (or, I suppose, a lot of Zemyx stories) is how retarded Demyx is. I haven't come across one where he's portrayed as fragile and innocent (SOOO don't get that vibe from him either. That's like trying to pass AXEL off as fragile and innocent), but I come across stories all the time where Demyx is just… In need of Special Ed. And I don't know about anyone else, but I find it pretty creepy that Zexion wants to bang someone who's mentally handicapped.  
I'm glad you like the plot! I was actually afraid this idea was tired and unoriginal. I see stories all the time where the premise is the same – Roxas/Sora/Zexion/whoever is being followed by demon/ghost/supernatural being that's usually Axel/Riku/Demyx and, in the end, they fall in love or whatever. I'm glad so many people are excited about this story!

**UndineAlice: **Pft. I'm dumb. I spent five minutes just now trying to figure out what 'IC' was. But, anyway – moving on. I'm really glad you like this so much. Writing Zexion as a complete dillhole is a lot of fun. Sometimes it's hard because I don't want him to come off as _too_ cruel. I want him right on the line of cruel and mean.

**Queen-of-pokehearts**: Aww. This review is so sweet. But now I feel like an asshole for forcing you to review. I wish I could say I don't review 'cause I'm shy or some shit, but the truth is that I'm just incredibly lazy and seldom get to even look at fanfiction. And the fanfiction I do come across makes me feel like someone just dragged their hairy, sweaty balls across my open eyes.  
Anyway – yea, it is sort of weird writing them as strangers. Just like with Axel and Riku, I have trouble seeing them apart (unless, of course, it's a break-up thing). I just like Demyx and Zexion already together so I can write smut between them. ;D And of course this is continuing! With so many people hoping it will, it'd be cruel to take it down!


	3. Let's Ask Politely

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **This is late. To be honest, I had forgotten that I had written this chapter and I was reluctant to start on it. But here it is. Now time to start on the next chapter of _Axel's Fables_…

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 2: **Let's Ask Politely

**At some point**, he had fallen asleep. He hadn't meant to, but the bookstore had made him very tired. It was warm and cozy and the large, comfortable armchairs the owner, Vexen, had placed around the small bookstore were ideal for snoozing. It wasn't as if Demyx didn't enjoy reading or thought books were a waste of time. He had just never been too interested in books and the books he did read were usually ones that had been forced upon him in high school. The only books he ever picked up of his own volition were books about music. Sometimes he thumbed through cookbooks, but he wasn't much of a chef. Cooking required too much detail and a small mishap in cooking meant a whole entire dish was ruined.

Music was much more forgiving.

"So who is he?" Vexen asked curiously.

Zexion was seated upon the floor, a rather large fiction novel in his hands. His back was pressed against the wall, his posture was slightly slouched, and he turned the page of his book and hungrily devoured the next few lines.

"I allow you to treat my bookstore as a library. The least you can do is acknowledge my existence."

He breathed a sigh through his nose and looked up at Vexen who loomed above him. "I'm verifying your existence in my world. Satisfied?" Zexion looked back down at his book and annoyance crossed his features when Vexen bent down and slipped the book roughly from his hands.

"I was reading that," Zexion stated harshly. He stood up and gave Vexen a look.

"Sorry. This isn't a library." The bookstore owner smirked and tucked the closed book under his arm. "I'd be more willing to let you read for free if –"

"He's some twit following me around insisting that he's a manifestation of my conscience," Zexion spat. He crossed his arms and glanced at the book that was tucked under Vexen's arm. "I've decided he's either crazy, someone is trying to play a trick on me, or he's actually my conscience."

Vexen seemed highly amused by this information. "Someone playing a trick on you, I'm sure."

Zexion shrugged. He uncrossed his arms and leaned against the wall. A sigh parted his lips as he glanced over at Demyx who slept soundly in the large armchair on the other side of the bookstore. "Perhaps…" he mumbled. He didn't sound so sure of himself and he knew Vexen would tease him for thinking Demyx was anything more than a pawn in someone's plan for revenge.

"A prank like this does seem like a good bit of effort though."

The slate haired boy looked at Vexen and then immediately followed him when he began to walk way. They walked over to the checkout counter and the older man took a seat at the small, old desk. Zexion, who used to visit Vexen every day, took a seat on the desk and let his feet dangle off. He was teased for being short. The bookstore owner had always teased him about _many _things and Zexion had never been bothered by it. He should have been, but he just wasn't.

"With little reward," Zexion added.

Vexen nodded and leaned back in his chair. He set the fiction novel down on the desk and smiled slightly when he saw the other's gray eyes dart to where the book lay. "So maybe it isn't someone playing a trick on you?"

"_You're _suggesting he's actually my conscience?" Zexion was quite surprised by this. He had known Vexen for a long time and he had always had a very rational mind. He always had a good (and reasonable) explanation for strange mishaps or odd encounters. He didn't entertain fantasy or imagination and he would be hard pressed to read fiction novels filled with wizards, vampires, or any other kind of mystical being.

"Maybe," he answered slowly. "He may just be crazy. Though I find it baffling why someone would go through such great lengths to set up a scheme that has little payout. So this irritating buffoon follows you around and aids you in your decision making, correct?"

Zexion nodded and watched Vexen curiously.

"And we're saying small decisions like… whether or not you should yell at someone for their stupidity. Not massive decisions that could affect your whole entire future?"

Zexion nodded again.

Vexen placed his hands together, his finger tips touching. The shorter boy could see his mind working behind his eyes. He could hear the gears turning. He could see Vexen rationalizing – or at least attempting to rationalize – things in his brain. He tapped the tips of his fingers together and then he leaned slightly forward in his chair.

"Other than this boy getting on your nerves, what, exactly, is the joke here?"

Zexion opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He hesitated and began to say something, but then he stopped when he realized he didn't have an answer. A flush crossed his cheeks and he looked away from Vexen because he hated the way the other delighted in his ignorance. He also hated how he was consistently ignorant in front of _only_ Vexen. He hated thinking that maybe Vexen was a thousand times smarter than he was. He hated feeling like such a _kid_ in front of the older man.

"While I do believe it is unlikely that he's actually your conscience in human form, I'm not so sure I can say this is some sort of prank either." He watched Zexion closely. "I suppose it's possible he could be crazy, but I don't know him well enough to say…"

He shook his head. "He's fairly lucid. Stupidity does not equate to insanity. If it did –"

"More individuals would walk the psych ward than the streets," Vexen finished.

Zexion nodded and controlled the urge to smile. He swung his legs and then stopped when he realized it made him seem much more childlike. He didn't want to be a kid. He was out of his 'teen' years. He was an adult now and Vexen really should view him that way.

"He…" Zexion hesitated. "He told me I had six months to correct my behavior or I would die."

This intrigued Vexen greatly. "Oh my… Perhaps that's the joke then?" The smile on his face was suddenly gone and his eyes became wide with seriousness. Zexion looked at him with a hint of curiosity and panic.

"What?" the shorter boy asked. "What's wrong?"

Vexen reached out and gripped the slate haired boy's shoulders and looked at him gravely. "What if it's a warning?" The seriousness in his eyes frightened Zexion and the way he gripped his shoulders made heat erupt in his cheeks. His tongue darted out to lick at his suddenly dry lips and he shook his head.

"A warning? You believe someone is going to do me in?" he asked somewhat jokingly. However, the flicker of fear that crossed his features gave him away and he knew that it was quite plausible that, just as the list of people who would prank him was endless, the list of people who would _want him dead _was just as endless.

"Jumping to such a conclusion is rather rash, but I fail to see what pleasure someone would derive from playing a prank like this."

Zexion supposed that was true. If this _was_ just a joke, what was really in it for the prankster? The satisfaction that Zexion would be a better person? Maybe Demyx would annoy him to the point of fury? Vexen was right; if it was a prank, it certainly didn't make much sense. Maybe it _was_ a warning. Maybe the prankster had a hit on him and maybe Demyx was a _spy_.

"Zexion?"

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "What should I do?"

Vexen released his shoulders and began to pace the length of his small desk. He placed a hand on his chin in thought as the gears in his mind turned. Zexion watched him patiently and while he was sure he could come up with a plan on his own, it was nice to be talking to Vexen again. They would exchange pleasantries whenever Zexion stopped by, but they hadn't spoken since…

Well, since they had called it quits. They weren't the type of men who could date and then be friends.

"Play along," Vexen suggested.

"Excuse me?" Zexion raised his brows.

"Think about it." He glanced over toward Demyx who was still soundly sleeping. "Let's say, just for fun, that this boy is the manifestation of your conscience. If you don't play along, you die, correct?"

Zexion nodded.

"And let's say he isn't your conscience, but instead came to warn you that if you don't change, someone will kill you. If you don't play along, you die, correct?"

He shifted uncomfortably and gave a hesitant nod. He didn't like how either scenario came to the conclusion that he would die. He liked it better when he believed it was just a harmless prank meant to scare him. He liked it better when Demyx was just some harmless idiot who was sent to make his life hell for a brief period in time. Zexion didn't want to think that someone actually, _truly_, was out to get him.

Because maybe that meant he was just as bad as everyone said.

"We could be wrong and this could be just a harmless, albeit annoying, joke. However…" Vexen placed his hand on the fiction novel and picked it up from the desk. "It is better not to gamble with your life until you are truly done living it." He handed the novel to Zexion who took it hesitantly. "Free of charge. You were always my favorite customer."

He hoped Vexen didn't notice the blush on his cheeks.

••••••••••••••

"**Sorry about falling **asleep. I guess I was more ti –" Demyx stopped talking when he realized Zexion had his headphones jammed in his ears. They were on the bus again and he was staring out the window, watching the city fly by and having no idea that the blond next to him had been talking.

"No problem," Demyx mumbled to himself. "I wasn't speaking to you anyway." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked the other way, his eyes falling on the two people sitting in the seat across from him and Zexion. They were two men, probably somewhere in their late twenties, and they were trying to hold hands, secretly, by latching their index fingers together and placing them on the seat in the small space between their bodies.

A little smile crossed the blonde's lips and he turned to Zexion. He gave his shoulder a shake and when the slate haired boy didn't move, he gave his shoulder another shake.

"What?" he asked irritably, pulling one of his headphones from his ear. "What is it?"

"Those men are holding hands," Demyx whispered. He casually nodded toward the two men and Zexion, who wanted to look, but didn't, just shrugged.

"So?"

"So…" the blond paused. "So… I don't know." He leaned back in his seat. "I guess… I'm trying to make conversation."

"We could discuss why it's not okay to touch me again," Zexion stated coldly.

"You know, as your conscience, I've seen you naked. You shouldn't be so upset about being touched."

The hair on the back of his neck stood. "You _have not_ seen me naked," he growled.

"Whatever. I'm not that impressed." He was teasing, but he was also working out a bit of his aggression somewhat passively. Though Demyx seldom got angry, he was a little put-off by the way Zexion was treating him. Perhaps fighting fire with fire would show Zexion that Demyx could be mean if he needed to be. Maybe if he showed the shorter boy he had it in him to be a jerk, Zexion would lay off and quit being so incredibly difficult.

"Not that impressed?" He pulled his other headphone from his ear and glared. "Do you honestly believe I care about your opinion?"

"When it comes to how you look you care about what everyone thinks," Demyx responded. He didn't know whether or not this was true, but given how much time Zexion spent in front of the mirror and given that he felt the need to cover his face and make himself as little and unnoticeable as possible, Demyx could draw the conclusion that he was a little afraid of his looks being judged.

"I do not," he snapped.

"You can perfect grades and hobbies, but not your looks. No one can look perfect. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all," he mused. "Perhaps if you tried perfecting your personality the way you try to perfect your looks, people would –"

"Mhm, I see," Zexion interrupted. "We're going back to square one. I need to be a better person or… or whatever nonsense you were going on about earlier." He waved his hand dismissively and placed one of his headphones back in his ear.

"You know, Zexion, if you stopped lashing out at people and gave them a chance to –"

"Judge me?" he snapped again. "No thanks."

Demyx's patience was wearing thin. He hated being interrupted. That was one of his major pet peeves and he had a sinking feeling Zexion knew this. "No, that's _not_ what I was going to say. I was saying if you give people a chance to actually know you, they'd like you more."

"I don't want to be liked."

Demyx scoffed and rolled his eyes. "_Everyone _desires acceptance. You lash out because you're afraid people won't accept you. If you really didn't want to be liked, you wouldn't care what others thought. You wouldn't spend hours in front of the mirror and you wouldn't lash out at people the way you do. You'd go about life like water."

Zexion rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious. You're fighting to get upstream, but if you just relaxed and went with the flow, you'd be a lot happier."

"Who says I'm not happy?"

"… You _reek_ of unhappiness, Zexion."

He glared at Demyx and shook his head. "And why does it matter to you if I'm happy? Oh, I know why. Because if I want to be happy, I'll "do the right thing" or whatever, right? If I want to be happy, I need to do what you say and if being happy also means _not_ dying in six months, then that's good news for you, huh? You don't care about my happiness. You care about making sure you stay alive."

This greatly annoyed Demyx. He turned to Zexion and grasped his shoulders, his eyes locking with the other's own. The shorter boy opened his mouth to protest being touched, but Demyx didn't let him speak.

"If being such an antisocial _reject_ made you happy, I would leave you alone. I've been here for one day, Zexion, and I can _feel_ your sadness. No one likes to be alone forever. No one likes to be consistently afraid of rejection. No one likes feeling like they've got no one. Don't accuse me of being selfish. The only thing I have to live for is _you_ so if you're gone, then what's the point in my existence?"

Zexion, who was already blushing, couldn't help but blush even further when he noticed the two gay men across from them. They were leaning forward and staring at them, listening in on their conversation and smiling. When Demyx glanced at them over his shoulder, his face became bright red and he released Zexion.

"A-and that, my dear friend, is what you should tell your girlfriend when you get home," Demyx announced loudly. "Because you are _not_ gay."

Zexion sank down in his bus seat and shoved his headphones back into his ears. He watched Demyx put a hand over his face to hide his embarrassment and he was almost compelled to do the same when he caught sight of the gay couple giving them the thumbs up.

Demyx was an embarrassment to society.

••••••••••••••

**They were lounging **in the pool on floats with drinks in their hands. Riku and Axel were dressed in identical swim trunks and identical sunglasses as usual and they were enjoying their Saturday afternoon. They had been forced out of bed by Riku's mother around one or two (Roxas had left Axel's house at eleven much to Axel's dismay) and now they were relaxing in the pool. Axel failed to see the difference in lounging around in the pool or sleeping. Both were equally lazy and equally useless (to Riku's mother, anyway).

"Your mom's a bitch, Ri, you know that?" Axel stated unceremoniously.

"You're just mad because she went for your dad and not you," he replied.

"I'm mad because she gave me the Clap."

There was a splash of water and Axel laughed as Riku tipped his float over and sent him into the water with his drink. He immediately resurfaced, his sunglasses somewhere at the bottom of the pool and his tin soda can floating a few centimeters away.

"Aw, did I hit a nerve, Mama's Boy?" the redhead cooed as he reached out to rub Riku's chin.

"Shut up," he growled, swatting his step brother's hand away irritably.

"Hey, Pool Boy!" Axel raised his hand in the air and snapped his fingers. "I dropped my sunglasses in the deep end. Will you fish them out?"

Sora, who was trying to grab the tin can with the net, gave Axel a look. "I don't know why Demyx's job suddenly became _my_ job. I came up with the plan! I shouldn't have to do his work for him! And why did Roxas get to work at the music store? Why couldn't he do this instead? Why –" A gasp left the brunet's mouth as he toppled headfirst into the water, the pool net still clutched in his hand.

Axel laughed delightedly and Riku, who had pushed Sora into the water, immediately dove in and swam after the pouty brunet.

Sora didn't take too kindly to being pushed in. Had he been in just his swim trunks, it would have been all right. But he was in his favorite pair of sandals and his favorite shirt and he didn't like being snuck up on. He saw Riku swimming down toward him and he kicked off the bottom and swam to the surface.

Riku, however, was pretty intent on drowning him and grabbed him by the waist. He yanked the brunet down and they began to struggle. Riku was very clearly enjoying this moment, but Sora was not. He was torn between panic and embarrassment because Riku was essentially _hugging _him and it felt really nice. However, his lungs were a little short of air and being around Riku already made it hard for him to breathe.

Being touched wasn't helping.

He squirmed and tried to get away (he eventually lost his sandals and they floated to the deep end of the pool), but Riku was insistent. He finally yanked Sora to his eyelevel and when he opened his mouth, bubbles came out and floated to the surface. The stared at each other, their vision fogged by the chemicals in the pool, and Sora could've _sworn_ they were leaning in toward one another, but maybe it was the chlorine messing with his vision.

But maybe not.

The surface of the water broke and Sora and Riku turned their attention upward. They both swam to the surface and took in breaths of air when they surfaced. Roxas, who had just jumped into the pool, was messing around with Axel.

"I thought you were working," Sora called out to his brother.

Roxas stopped splashing Axel and looked quite surprised to see Sora there. "They didn't mean to schedule me for today. I went home, but you weren't around so I figured you were here."

Riku smirked. "Sure you weren't just coming over to see Axel?"

"Come on, Ri, that's not a fair question. Is there _anyone_ who can resist me?"

Sora mumbled a somewhat disgruntled, "I can" before swimming over to the pool ladder and climbing up it. Riku tried to hide the wide smile that suddenly appeared from nowhere. He tried to ignore the happy feeling he got in his chest when Sora had mumbled "I can." He took a breath and tried to remember the only gay thing about him was…

Well, everything apparently, but he wasn't gay. And Sora was just his friend.

"Hey, Pool Boy," Axel called playfully. "Round us up some colas, all right?"

Sora glared. "I'm not a butler."

"Right, my apologies…" Axel raised his hands in the air and clapped his hands together twice. "Pool Boy, be a doll and round us up some colas so we don't have to bother the butler."

Riku laughed, but quickly stopped when he saw how irritated Sora looked.

"He's just messing with you," Roxas said.

"No, I really want those colas," Axel stated quite seriously.

The blond elbowed the redhead a little roughly and Axel, always a bit dramatic, made a rather large scene of the ordeal. He threw himself wildly into the water and pretended to drown and Riku found he was instantly jealous when he saw Sora break into a huge smile and laugh at his step brother's stupidity.

••••••••••••••

"**I need a **girlfriend."

Sora dropped the pool net and it landed on the concrete with a metallic sounding thud. A blush crossed his cheeks as he bent down to pick it up and his level of embarrassment only rose when he heard Axel snicker somewhere from behind him.

"No one _needs_ a girlfriend," Roxas stated knowingly. "You _want_ a girlfriend."

"No, no, Roxy. Riku means need. He needs a pretty piece of arm candy to keep people from thinking he's gay," Axel teased.

Sora relaxed a little bit and fished a few microscopic nothings out of the pool. The sun was setting and Riku, Axel, and Roxas were sitting a little behind the brunet on patio chairs. Axel had his sunglasses pushed into his red hair and Roxas was sipping from a water bottle. Riku, however, looked quite annoyed at the both of them and he crossed his arms irritably over his bare chest.

"I'm _not_ gay," he growled.

Sora whipped around and gawked at Riku. "_You're not_?"

Axel and Roxas broke into loud, rambunctious laughter and Sora didn't know who was blushing harder; him or Riku. He quickly tried to backtrack his shock and surprise, but he just fumbled stupidly over his words and eventually gave up when it was clear Roxas and Axel were set on laughing about this for a good two or three hours.

"Why do you think I'm gay?" Riku grumbled as he stood from his chair.

The brunet looked at his feet and shrugged. "Well, I… I mean, you know…"

"No. No, I don't. Why does _everyone_ think I'm gay?" He looked at Roxas and Axel, whose laughter had died down somewhat, and sneered. "You two are practically a couple and barely anyone thinks either of you are gay."

They passed each other a look, but then quickly dropped it. Roxas shrugged his shoulders and Axel put his arms behind his head and leaned back in his chair. He smirked and mumbled something like, "It's _Sora_ that thinks you're gay."

The brunet cleared his throat awkwardly and felt his cheeks burn when Riku stared at him, clearly waiting for some sort of explanation.

"I… I… It's just your hair. It's silver and long and obviously well-taken care of! Your skin is like porcelain and your eyes are… this really odd, but really pretty color. And the way you dress doesn't help offset your feminine characteristics. It just enhances them and… and…"

Riku's mouth was slightly propped open and his brow was somewhat furrowed in irritation. Roxas and Axel were trying to stifle their giggles and Sora shot them both a dirty look.

"I _do not _have feminine characteristics!" Riku shouted.

The brunet didn't confirm or deny this and when Axel snorted (sending Roxas into a fit of laughter), his step brother glared hotly at him.

"Shut up! I am _very_ manly!"

This made Roxas laugh even harder and Axel, who had been trying to contain his delight, could no longer help himself.

"Oh come on! Look at you!" Axel insisted, "You're too well-groomed and handsome! You care too much about how you look. You want girls to like you, be grungy!"

Riku's eyes narrowed. "I must be gay because I'm well-groomed?"

Axel shrugged. "Girls hit on me."

Roxas' laughter stopped and he opened his mouth to ask, "Like when?" but he saw the look Riku was giving him and he refrained. Instead, he excused himself to the restroom and ignored the looks he was being given as he exited the pool area.

"You look like you crawled out of a dirty hamper," Riku pointed out.

Axel nodded. "And girls like that! It shows them I don't care. Girls and gay men are supposed to give a shit about how they look. Guys are supposed to wear the same underwear for days."

Riku glared. "I'm not gay, goddamnit! I'm _straight_!"

"Saying it doesn't make it true."

The redhead and his step brother gave each other a look and then stared over at Sora. He shrugged his shoulders and walked past them, mumbling something like, "I need to go to the pool house." Why he had just said that to Riku, he didn't know. But learning that his crush wasn't gay was...

Well, nothing short of heartbreaking.

••••••••••••••

"**Everywhere I look, **I just see you on your own…"

Demyx's brows came together and he slipped from his spot on Zexion's couch. They had gotten back to the other's apartment an hour or so ago and Zexion had done his best to mostly ignore Demyx. He had retreated into his bedroom (the door, however, was cracked) and the blond crept toward the other's lair. There was music and though it didn't sound like Zexion's _kind_ of music, it was coming from somewhere.

"So give me a shot, 'cause I could be the dog to your bone… or something…"

A heavy bass line followed the lyrics and Demyx realized there was no way in _hell_ it was Zexion's music. He frowned and toyed with the idea that maybe it was coming from above them, but… It sounded _way_ too close to be above.

Zexion emerged from his bedroom and looked slightly surprised to see Demyx standing there lurking.

"It's not me," the blond said quickly. He held up his hands in front of him as if he was hoping to protect himself from Zexion's verbal abuse for the disturbance going on around them.

"It's Xigbar." His voice dripped with more disgust than usual and as he tried to retreat into his bedroom, Demyx reached out and very lightly touched Zexion's shoulder. He was getting the hang of the no-touching thing. It would take a little bit of time, but Demyx was learning how to control himself and his need to communicate through the use of physical contact.

"Where are you going?"

Zexion looked at the blond blankly. "My bedroom."

"Isn't… Isn't that music annoying though?"

The shorter boy shrugged. "I'd rather not deal with Xigbar at the moment. He does this every Saturday night."

Demyx let the words float around in his head and Zexion found that he was somewhat intrigued by the way the other's thought process worked. He could seeit happening behind the blonde's eyes. He could almost hear the metaphorical whirs and clicks taking place as Demyx tried to reach a plausible plan of action for what they should do next.

Is that what it was like to think so much more slowly than everyone else? Or was this less of a matter of slowness and more of a matter of someone actually _thinking_ something through before executing their plan of attack?

Zexion crossed his arms over his chest. The blank look on his face did not cease and Demyx couldn't say that displeased him. He had been with the other for about twelve hours and he found Zexion's blank stare was so much more inviting and endearing than his annoyed sneer, his furrowed brow, his rage-colored cheeks, and his small, balled fists.

"Let's turn this into a lesson!" Demyx said brightly.

"Let's not." He turned to go into his room, but stopped when he knew Demyx would touch him if he tried to run. "You don't understand. Xigbar is…" He found he couldn't find an accurate word to describe his neighbor.

"Human. Just like you. Look, let's try something new. I'll ask him to turn down his music. You just watch and learn."

Zexion snorted and though he wanted so badly to mumble something about the impossibility of Demyx being able to teach him something, he didn't. But only because he had caught sight of the horrible, awful black notebook that was constantly tucked in the back of the blonde's jeans. He crossed his arms across his chest and then shrugged in defeat. Going along with Demyx was easier than arguing with him.

At least they had that in common.

They walked across Zexion's apartment and toward the front door. The music still played loudly and the thundering bass was a bit much, even for Demyx's standards. He opened the door and before he had a chance to ask which apartment was Xigbar's, his question was answered.

The apartment to the left of Zexion's had people spilling out of the doorway. They were mostly scantily dressed girls who appeared to be waiting to go into Xigbar's place. The door was wide open, but they stood outside expectantly as if waiting for a celebrity to emerge from the depths of the bass-filled home.

"Um…" Demyx shoved past the girls. "Excuse me," he shouted over the music as he slunk through the crowd.

Zexion followed him, but didn't bother saying 'excuse me' or anything of the sort. He bumped people and was unapologetic and, he felt, rightfully so. They were crowding the hallway of the apartment complex and creating a fire hazard. He did _not_ have polite words for people who insisted on being nuisances to society or fire hazards.

When Demyx reached the apartment door, he knocked despite it being open. Zexion sighed irritably and rolled his eyes, his arms still crossed tightly over his chest.

"Just go inside," the shorter of the two stated.

"No, I haven't been invited in."

Zexion gave him a look. "Sorry. Didn't realize you were a vampire."

Demyx's brow furrowed. "What does that –"

"Vampires have to be _invited _inside someone's home. If they aren't, they die," he explained none too kindly. "Don't you read books?"

The blond shrugged. "_Twilight _just wasn't cutting it for me."

Zexion's cheeks were pink. "I _do not _read such dribble as _Twilight_."

"Hey, everyone is entitled to their guilty pleasure," Demyx teased.

He opened his mouth to respond, but the blond was preoccupied with asking someone if they knew where Xigbar was. Zexion glared at nothing in particular and made a mental note to make sure Demyx knew he only read books of the highest quality. He supposed it didn't really matter, but he had a feeling someone like Axel would have a field day if he thought Zexion was reading a preteen girl's storybook about sparkling vampires.

"Um, hi. I'm Demyx and –"

Xigbar, who had come to the door, leaned against the frame and looked at the blond with an amused smile. "Are you new around here?"

He hesitated. "Yea, something like that. But, listen, Xigbar, right? Um… Do you think maybe you could please turn down your music a little?"

He raised a thick, black eyebrow and then he barked a laugh. "As if."

Zexion rolled his eyes and muttered something disparaging under his breath.

Demyx's brow furrowed. "Sorry?"

"I said 'as if,' Blondie. It's Saturday night and I have guests to entertain."

He looked behind him at the crowd of girls and then he looked Xigbar up and down. "No offense, dude, but aren't you a little old for them?"

This amused Xigbar instead of annoying him. "Age is a state of mind."

"Not if you're a policeman."

The black haired man grinned. "Are you a policeman, Blondie? You planning on punishing me?" He stepped closer to Demyx and Demyx, already intimidated by the way Xigbar looked, tried to step back, but instead just bumped into Zexion who growled like an angered cat.

"Not… exactly. Look, just… We're trying to –"

"We're?"

Demyx nodded. "Yea, me and…" He looked around for Zexion and frowned when he couldn't find him.

"I'm right here," the slate haired boy responded irritably. His short stature was hell and he hated it. It didn't help that he looked thirty times shorter standing next to someone as tall as Demyx was.

"Ooh, I see," Xigbar said. "You're with _this one_. Well, about the music then…"

Demyx grinned widely. "You'll turn it down?"

"I'll turn it up."

The blond exchanged a look with Zexion, but Zexion's expression was more of a 'see? I knew this wasn't going to work' and Demyx's face said something like, 'He's serious? What the fuck?'

"Look, Xigbar, I think it's great you're expressing yourself or… whatever, but –"

"Are you two dating?"

Zexion scoffed. "Dear God, _no_."

Demyx looked _highly _offended by this and he made this known by giving the shorter boy a very indignant look.

"Oh, great. You wanna come inside, Blondie? Something tells me you can shake your hips…"

The way Xigbar looked at him made the hair on his neck stand on end. It wasn't like Demyx hadn't ever been eyed by an older man, but it was very strange to be eyed by an older man who was currently giving him a hard time. He was being flirted with and yet turned down at the same time. Accepted and rejected simultaneously. It was odd.

"Um, actually, I don't dance."

"And I'm not into blondes," Xigbar winked.

Demyx felt his cheeks flush and he didn't need to see Zexion to know he was rolling his eyes.

"Can we go now?" the slate haired boy sighed. "This is a waste of our time."

"How about we make a deal?" Xigbar asked quickly. "I'll turn down the music if you dance with me."

Demyx raised his brows and then glanced over at Zexion who held a mixed expression of disgust and surprise. It wasn't that he thought _Demyx_ was unappealing. It was _Xigbar_ he found off-putting. Though there was a lot of talk about how old the black haired man was, there was a silent agreement between everyone that he had to be at least in his late twenties. And Demyx was… what? Twenty or twenty-one? Zexion passed Xigbar a look and he winked at the bookworm in response.

"Let's just go," the shorter boy said irritably. "Before he fools you into sleeping with him."

Demyx hesitated, but then he followed Zexion out of the crowded hallway and back into the apartment. Even with the door closed, they could still hear the music very clearly, the repeated bass line reminding Zexion of dance clubs and rave parties that he had never been to, but kids talked about often.

"Who was that exactly?" the blond asked as he took a seat on Zexion's couch.

"Xigbar. He's lived here for a couple years and he mingles with the college crowd. I believe he feels that he can justify his lifestyle if he surrounds himself with individuals who are much younger and share the same interests."

Demyx nodded a bit absent-mindedly. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes showing vacancy as he stared at some invisible spot on the wall just above Zexion's head. He didn't find Xigbar quite as atrocious as his moody companion and had Zexion not been there, and had Demyx not been playing the role of the other's conscience, he probably would've danced.

And maybe a little more than just that.

"How come you don't know him?" Zexion asked suspiciously. "How come you don't know anyone I know?"

Demyx shook his head to clear his thoughts and then he shrugged. "I only know your rights and wrongs and I'm talking major rights and wrongs. I don't know your life, Zexion, that's not my job. My job is to keep you honest and keep you good, not recite your whole life story verbatim and know everything you do."

The way Demyx said it made Zexion's cheeks go pink with embarrassment. He made it sound so plainly obvious that the shorter boy couldn't help but feel a little stupid. It was as if he didn't know what a conscience was. Then again, was that so unreasonable? It had already been stated by numerous individuals before that Zexion didn't know what guilt was nor did he feel it.

His own mother had told him he didn't know right from wrong. She had been saying that to him his whole entire life.

The music pounded the walls and Demyx sighed. Zexion, who had become quite accustomed to this type of thing, shrugged his shoulders and meandered into his room to contemplate whether or not Demyx was actually his conscience or some sort of spy for a hit man.

Or worse – the hit man himself.

••••••••••••••

"**Fucking A."**

Demyx rolled over on the couch and tried to get comfortable. Though Zexion had made it very clear he didn't want the blond to stay, Demyx had insisted he had to because he was technically a "baby" and therefore had no place to go. That was untrue, of course, because he had the pool house, but he was trying to make his story as believable as possible. Zexion was a skeptic.

But Demyx was a very good actor.

A very skilled liar. It was all semantics, really.

However, the blond was now beginning to wish he _had_ gone back to the pool house. The music from Xigbar's apartment continued relentlessly and he was having a very hard time sleeping with the constant thudding of a bass line that was far too old and far too used. Zexion was somehow managing to deal with it, but Demyx was having no such luck.

He had been up since six and it was nearing one in the morning. He was exhausted. Why hadn't anyone else complained? Why hadn't the landlord done something? Were they all just used to this type of behavior from Xigbar? Or was he just as void of a conscience as Zexion was?

Demyx threw the blanket the shorter boy had given him off his body and stood haphazardly. He pulled his jeans over his legs (he slept in his boxers) and made his way out of Zexion's apartment. He didn't care _what_ Xigbar wanted. _He _wanted to sleep and now he could be a complete dick to the black haired man now that Zexion wasn't around.

The crowd of people in the hallway had dissipated and Xigbar's door was shut. Demyx walked over and knocked loudly. Immediately, the door was opened and Xigbar stood there, leaning against the doorway and eyeing Demyx up and down.

"I knew you'd be back."

"Look, I'm really tired and I –"

"Is the Ice Queen your boyfriend?"

Demyx stared. "What? No. He's just…" He paused. "We're just old friends." He decided.

"Why don't you come in then?" Xigbar stepped aside and gestured for the boy to come inside. "I'll make you a drink and we can talk about turning down the music."

The blond continued to stare. "No thank you. I'm actually really tired and I would just –"

"Pity," he interrupted. "I'll see you around, Blondie."

He went to the close the door, but Demyx flailed his arms and said quickly, "Whoa, wait, okay, hold on there, pal."

Xigbar smirked. "Change of heart?"

"One drink and you turn the music off, okay?" Demyx compromised.

He thought about this briefly, but then he nodded and let the other inside. "All right, Blondie. You got a deal."

When he walked inside, he had been expecting to see tons of kids younger than himself jumping around with drinks and glowsticks. He had expected hipsters and half-naked girls. He had expected sluts and whores of both genders. He had expected the place to be a disgusting mess.

But it was nothing like that. It was pristine. There were no kids jumping around with glowsticks or drinks. There were no half-naked girls. There were, as far as Demyx could tell, no sluts or whores. Just the loud music and a bar. Aside from those two things, it was not unlike Zexion's apartment.

"So you're sitting by yourself listening to loud music?"

"I'm like a snake charmer," Xigbar teased as he walked past Demyx and over toward the bar. "I play the music and wait for the kids to come."

The blond blushed when he realized the other had been _attempting_ to draw him in. He ran a hand nervously through his hair and felt relieved when Xigbar turned the music off. Demyx hadn't realized it, but he actually had a headache and the repeated bass line was floating through his mind absently. Sure. He liked loud music (especially techno music and dance songs), but he wouldn't lie. The repeated bass line that often played in night clubs got very old very fast.

"How old are you?" Xigbar asked as he began making Demyx some kind of concoction of a drink.

"Legal," the blond responded.

"Hilarious." He rolled his eyes. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

Xigbar nodded and waved Demyx over toward the bar. He obliged and took a seat on the countertop, mumbling a small "thank you" when the older man handed him his drink. He sipped it and made a face. Whatever it was, it was really, really strong.

"So tell me, kiddo, how do you _actually_ know the Ice Queen? You and I both know he doesn't have friends."

Demyx didn't want to smile, but he couldn't help it. He swung his legs and took another sip from his drink. "Um… I'm his conscience."

Xigbar laughed. "No, come on. I'm serious."

The blond nodded and shrugged. "So am I."

He stared and then he reached out and took Demyx's drink from him. "You're a real fucking lightweight, kiddo," he teased.

Demyx rolled his blue eyes. "I'm on business, okay? Is that a good enough answer?"

"Ehh… It's all right." He handed Demyx his drink back and watched him curiously. "So you say you're his conscience… Where the hell have you been exactly?" he joked. He would play along for now, but only because he thought Demyx was _very_ cute.

"He's been ignoring me." The blond waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Completely disregarding me and everything I have to say. So here I am in human form trying to turn his life around."

"How kind. So do you know my conscience?" Xigbar asked playfully.

"Yes," Demyx responded quite seriously. "He's weighed down with your bad decisions. Mainly the decisions that lead you to touching kids."

Xigbar laughed. "As if."

"I'm serious! He's all stout and angry that you never listen! He doesn't like knowing you're screwing some eighteen year old kid!" Demyx tried to keep a straight face, but the older man was giving him the biggest _look_ and he couldn't help but break out into a broad smile.

"Come on. Tell me who you really are," Xigbar commanded. "I'm not going to tell him. Ice Queen needs a little attitude adjustment. I can dig what you're trying to do."

"Can't. Under strict orders not to give any information except my name."

"Demyx, right?" he asked.

The blond nodded. "And you're Xigbar, the Mr. Rogers of the apartment complex," he teased.

"It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood."

He rolled his pretty blue eyes. "That's because your neighborhood is filled with half-naked young adults rubbing against each other to the beat of a repeated bass line."

"Not true. Sometimes they're rubbing against each other to satisfy their guilty needs."

Demyx made a face. "That's… gross."

Xigbar chuckled and shook his head. He watched the blond sip his drink until it was mostly empty and then he took the glass from him. "One drink. A boy of your word."

"I'm a conscience. Doing the right thing is what I do," he replied teasingly.

Xigbar raised a brow. "Right. You're a conscience…" He paused. "So, what's the dirty on Ice Queen?"

Demyx scoffed. "I can't share that."

"I'll share something with you," he bargained.

He thought this over for a moment and then his blue eyes narrowed somewhat. "Is that how you trick people into doing what you want? You make deals and you bargain with them?"

Xigbar shrugged and a smirk crossed his lips. "It seems to work pretty well."

"Well, you're one out of two tonight," Demyx said as he slipped from the counter top. "I came in for a drink and now I'm going back to Zexion's apartment."

The older man knew better than to insist Demyx stay. Part of him wanted to know more about the blond, but then the other part of him was sure that this boy was crazy. That, or overly dedicated to whatever he was trying to do to Zexion. He kindly showed Demyx the door and they exchanged civil pleasantries. One thing was for sure though – even if Demyx _was _completely crazy, it meant he would be around more and Xigbar had a feeling he could get that boy to come over for more than just _one_ drink.

Feeling relaxed and sleepy, Demyx made his way back into Zexion's apartment. The silence that surrounded him was golden and he threw himself down on the couch. He pulled the blanket over his long body and found that despite how stressful everything had been, he was quite satisfied. A yawn overcame him and he closed his eyes, falling to asleep almost instantly.

••••••••••••••

"**Conscience… Conscience, wake **up."

He slowly opened his heavy, tired blue eyes and he jumped, startled, when he saw Zexion's looming, dark form over him. He made an irritable noise as he sat up on the couch. Demyx reached up to rub at his blue eyes and then he looked around the living room for a clock or possible sunlight.

"It's four in the morning," Zexion said knowingly. "I need to talk to you."

"What?" he replied groggily. "No, come on. Let's talk in the A.M. Conscience is tired."

"A conscience shouldn't need sleep."

Demyx gave Zexion an incredulous look. "I'm your conscience, not a super hero."

The shorter boy ignored him and took a seat on the couch. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared hard at an imaginary spot on the floor. He moved his foot up and down in a rather jittery manner and Demyx raised his brows. Had Zexion not gone to sleep yet? He looked stressed and… irritable? Annoyed? Angry? Or maybe he looked…

Worried. Concerned. Maybe a little frightened.

"What's wrong?" Demyx asked kindly.

"How…" Zexion hesitated. "How will I die?"

The blond restated the question in his mind and then gazed absently into the darkness of the living room. He hadn't actually discussed this with Axel or Riku. It wasn't like they planned on actually killing Zexion or having him meet some sort of strange, untimely end. But, once again, Riku and Axel had failed to see the shorter boy being curious about his death. However, Demyx figured it didn't matter so he looked at Zexion and offered a small shrug.

"You'll drown."

It was the first thing that came into his mind. There were other ways Zexion could have died, but Demyx had decided to go with something a little less gruesome than, say, falling from the top of his apartment complex or being run over by the bus he rode every day.

Zexion paled and his mouth became suddenly dry. He looked down at his feet and mumbled gently, "How?"

Demyx leaned in toward him, "Do what?"

"I said 'how?'" Zexion made brief eye contact with the blond and then he quickly looked away. The urgency in his voice embarrassed him and made him feel like a needy child. He played with the hemline of his boxers and glared at nothing in particular.

"Um…" Demyx hesitated. "Well… Someone's going to push you in."

The hair on the back of Zexion's neck stood on end and his eyes became exceptionally wide. Demyx had no idea what he was doing to the poor boy next to him. He had no idea that Zexion was _very_ afraid of water and that his worst fear was drowning. He had no idea that he and Vexen had talked at length about the possibility of someone having a hit on Zexion.

And Zexion, still glaring hard at the floor, was currently suffering an internal battle. One where part of him was screaming that Demyx _must_ be his conscience because he knew his worst fear and _no one _sans his parents knew that. Not even Vexen. But the other part of him was screaming Demyx _must_ be working for a hit man or he _was_ a hit man because Zexion's death was not an accident. He would be _pushed_ and then he would _drown_.

"Zexion?" Demyx asked curiously. "Are you okay?"

"Is that…" He paused and looked at the blond with wide eyes. "Is… someone trying to kill me?" His voice was so small and the hint of fear laced in his words caused Demyx to blush and look away.

Guilt washed over the blond and he cleared his throat nervously. Until now, he had been mostly all right with going along with Riku and Axel's plan. However, now he had frightened Zexion and he could not blame this on the two scheming rich boys. This was all him and his adlibbing. This was his doing and it made him feel cruel.

"I..." He sighed. "I can't really… answer that." He caught his lower lip between his teeth and looked away. "But… But this is why you need to change, Zexion."

His chest rose and fell quickly and he felt the urge to phone Vexen and tell him about this conversation. Though he was quite intelligent and could figure out most issues and problems, it was sort of nice to be able to talk to Vexen about things. It was nice to have someone else's input on his thoughts or ideas. He would never admit it, but he was a little bit lonely.

And sometimes things like Xigbar's music blaring loudly and invading the silence of his home made him feel a little less alone.

"Someone's going to push me into…" He let his words trail off and then he mumbled, "Into _what_? The ocean? A lake? A river? A pool?"

Demyx wasn't sure if this question was directed at him or if this was Zexion simply musing to himself. The blond rubbed his arm nervously and tried to ignore how shitty this was making him feel. He remembered Sora saying the rub in this plan was convincing Zexion he was going to die. He'd have to tell the brunet he was wrong. He'd have to tell him that the real rub in this was mistakenly convincing Zexion that someone was out to get him.

That someone hated him so much that they wanted him to die.

"Zexion," Demyx said. "Don't worry about it right now."

He gave the blond a withering look. "_Don't worry about it_?" he asked incredulously. "This is my life, Demyx. And if you've forgotten, your life too."

Though he was still debating whether or not the other was actually his conscience, he had decided it would be best to play along. He would keep his doubts (mostly) to himself and he would continue the internal debate that raged in his mind about Demyx's existence and how he actually fit into Zexion's world.

It would be best to play along because Vexen was right: either way, he was going to die.

The shorter boy stood suddenly from the couch and Demyx looked up at him. Their eyes met, briefly, and then Zexion gave him a curt, brief nod before exiting the living room and meandering back into his own room. He closed the door gently and then made his way over to his bed.

He was going to die. He was going to die. He was going to die.

Someone hated him so much that they actually wanted him to die.

Zexion lied down in his bed and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't sure what was worse: the fear of knowing someone was going to kill him or the pain that someone hated him enough to actually want him dead.

He had never thought very deeply about how much he was disliked until Demyx had come around. Zexion had always known he was not well-liked, but there was a substantial difference between being _disliked _and being _hated_. He turned on his side in his bed and tried to squish his unappealing thoughts into oblivion. He had to remember that not _everyone_ hated him. Vexen hadn't appeared to.

And there was always his family. Sort of.

But the list ended there and this only made Zexion feel worse. He shifted again in bed and breathed a soft, gentle sigh. It was late, but he wasn't tired. He was afraid. He was hurt by the thought of being so disliked and so hated. He didn't like to believe himself to be a bad guy. He was just a bit crusty around the edges. Maybe he was just a little bit disenchanted with people and life.

He toyed with the idea of sending a text message to Vexen, but then talked himself out of it. It would be better not to involve the older man too much in his life. Zexion rolled over onto his back, his limbs splayed, and the smallest, most pleasant thought floated through his mind. It was a thought that calmed him somewhat and a thought he could go to sleep to.

He thought it would be nice if maybe Demyx _wasn't_ a criminal.  
He thought it would be nice if maybe Demyx was actually his savior.

* * *

**A/N: **Okay, so… This was nice and timely. Unfortunately, I forgot I had actually written out the whole chapter and I was super reluctant to look at the document because I didn't want to know where I had stopped. It was kind of pleasant to find out I had finished the chapter, buuuuuut this is now super late. On the upside, school will be over in about three-four weeks and it will finally be summer.

Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, thank you.

So yea. Some plot development. Introduced Xigbar because I do sort of like the Xigbar x Demyx pairing even though it makes me feel a wee bit perverted. I'm not so big on Vexen x Zexion (because Vexen looks SO MUCH older than Zexion and it creeps me out), but I wanted Zexion to have _someone_ on his side. Vexen is also useful to plot and any kind of conversations that would normally take place in Zexion's mind.

The chapters, I think, will be mostly like this. Mostly Demyx and Zexion (with bits of other characters interacting with them like Xigbar and Vexen) and then the little subplot between Roxas, Axel, Riku, Sora, etc. Sometimes the subplot will be longer in the chapters and sometimes it'll be shorter. I won't lie – I'm probably going to put a little bit of filler here and there because I adore Axel x Roxas. I don't think anyone will mind small, filler-scenes where they're extra-lovey-dovey or doing it or whatever. And if you don't want that, then say so and I'll nix the idea.

Okay, so… Updates. I work and there's school and blahblahblah so updates are retarded. I work about 25 hours a week at the deli, I have fifteen hours in classes, and I work about 10-12 hours at the Bio lab. So… **The next chapter should be out between a month to a month and a half (but hopefully earlier). Bear with me. Summer is just around the corner!**

Thanks again to **Aindel S. Druida **for beta-editing this shit. I love her and you should too because her mastery of the English language is flawless. Also, she's funny and talkative and quite nice. Give her profile a gander and ask her to beta for you if you need a beta. She's the greatest.

Thanks for all the support and all the reviews, favoriting, alerting, etc. etc. I really appreciate everyone's interest in this story and I'm really glad I got to continue this. You guys are fantastic.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Dellums: **I'm glad you think so. After I became aware of the small, inevitable plot holes in _Axel's Fables_, I was pretty determined to write this out exactly as planned and not add to the plot or detract from it mid-story. I also wanted to give each character a really distinct voice that was different from their voice in _Axel's Fables_. Axel is still, well, Axel, but Roxas isn't so moody and Sora isn't so voice-of-reasony. And Zexion… Well, he's a lot meaner and a lot more jaded. Which is how I prefer him, I think.

**Sana-chan9: **I love a Demyx that can take things in stride. I also love a Demyx that _plays_ stupid but isn't _actually _stupid. I like him better when he's merely pretending he didn't understand that he was just insulted.  
I was really surprised when I realized you had been following me for a while. I was so used to posting one-shots (and posting them quite infrequently) that I didn't even notice who continually reviewed and followed me. But then one day I was going through my reviews and stories and whatnot and you were there for a LOT of them and I was like "WELL SHIT" because it made me feel like I had a real fan (also made me feel a tiny bit like a possible, future cult leader). So yes. Favorite reader. By far. There are a couple others out there I really like, but you're definitely my favorite (is that bad?).  
Bomb-diggity is an awesome phrase and one which I have never heard. I shall now use it frequently to impress all my American friends.

**CrazyPretz**: I'm hoping they all go uphill too. These chapters are actually pretty hard to write and I have to be in exactly the right mood to write them. I can get by okay on _Axel's Fables_, but I think this story has a lot more depth and I don't want to give everything away / spoon feed conclusions about characters to the readers. Hope this chapter was up to par!

**The Moon's Berserk: **I like Zexion feisty, but fearful. I like him to be really smart, but not socially inept as people often write him (or at least portray him). Maybe there is some slight social ineptitude there, but I don't think that stems from an actual behavioral problem. I think it's more of a choice to be socially inept so he doesn't have to deal with uncomfortable situations. I feel like Zexion would be very awkward if placed in a crowd of people he didn't know. But yes. Fiesty Zexion = win.

**Key2myheart13: **Aww. I'm glad this story could bring a smile to your face! I always feel badly though when people stay up extra late to finish reading. Or neglect their homework. Or read this at work. Or when their retinas start to bleed (no cases as of yet). But I'm still enthralled you like this so much. I'm also glad you find it funny. Humor is hard to convey through writing, I think.

**Zellicy: **Wow. Um… Thanks. Reviews like these always make me feel a little bit embarrassed (and feed my ego quite a bit) because I never know what to say. I appreciate your thinking I'm talented. I do put a lot of time and effort into my writing because even though it's only fanfiction, I still think it deserves to be cherished and I think the readers deserve something worth reading. Though it does sometimes kind of suck spending hours upon hours working on something that I'm not getting paid for. However, it's incredibly relaxing and I thoroughly enjoy writing. I'd also feel bad taking money for something I enjoy doing so much.  
Ahem. Got way off topic there, sorry. Yes, I don't like moron-Demyx. I like viewing Demyx as someone who _thinks _he's stupid, but only because he's no good at school. Demyx being aware of people and the feelings they have makes him much more dynamic, I think. He isn't some dumbass who just happens to be a musical genius. He's a kid who lacks the ability to do well in school and his talent for music stems from being able to feel on a deeper level then those around him (sensitive heart, maybe). Characters with depth make me smile. It really adds to plot and it's easier to write someone who has more than one dimension (and it's extra fun to do with someone as seemingly simple as Demyx).  
I think I can live with you being a reviewer. :D

**IchiakiI: **I tell everyone I know about mung. Then I tell them to look it up when they ask what it is. I actually saw the watermelon bit on some internet porn once. I wish I could say it was an accident, but I was naturally curious when my eyes browsed the title ("Guy fucking Watermelon") and I had, had, had to know. So yes. Apparently guys will do that if they're lonely/desperate/have a weird fruit fetish. I like to keep my doodle out of fruit (except in the case with fruity boys).  
I have two jobs because I need to save money for when I eventually move out of my house / vacations / possible expenses in college. My sister wants to go to Japan for a month out of the summer and she wants me to go with her, my Jewish friend wants me to go to Bonnaroo in June to see Ratatat (I want to go so bad), I need to find an apartment, and I would like to, at some point, acquire a Border Collie. So, all right… I don't NEED two jobs, but it's better to have income, I think.  
Why were you in a McDonald's, by the way? I'm in the library hanging out with my boyfriend who's trying to write a five page paper by tomorrow morning. And now I'm being way too personal with my personal life. Huzzah.

**UndineAlice: **Haaaah. I can't look at watermelon without thinking about it. The mental image is a mix of hot and disturbing. And yes! Braining! I was listening to 3Oh!3 and I heard that and, being once again naturally curious, had to look it up via Google images (which didn't bring up a lot so I rushed over to Urban Dictionary, a credible source). Zexion is a big asshole, but I kind of like him that way. And I like that, eventually, Demyx will bring out his lonely, afraid-of-the-world side.

**Queen-of-pokehearts: **I would stress the importance of reviewing but seeing as how I never, ever do, I would just be being a giant hypocrite. And I, too, have given up on finding decent fanfiction. It exists, but I find that it is in very small quantities and, sometimes, depending on which coupling you're looking for, it doesn't exist at all. Also, I love hearing that my fanfiction travels by word of mouth. That makes my day.  
I'm constantly pre-ejaculating into my pants over things. More so than a normal human being should. I also announce it and stress it at length with my friends. Once I even said it to my Latin teacher who was torn between laughter and shock. I really like ninja-Zexion because it does definitely fit him. I also like him being able to take care of himself / being able to hold his own because every short dude I have ever met has compensated for his shortness by knowing how to whoop ass. Sort of scary, sort of hot. My kind of thing.

**Statuess: **Really? I always saw Zexion as an asshole, but not THIS much of an asshole. Maybe that's just me though. Very true about the slang… I suppose Demyx shouldn't have knowledge Zexion doesn't, but I'm sure Demyx will find a way to write it off as normal if Zexion were to ask. I sort of like how the story is playing out with the whole… Demyx being a possible hitman. It amuses me. And that makes me sound like a pompous douchebag. My apologies.

**Yumchaitea: **It's always a relief when someone says they like my humor. Humor is particularly difficult for me to write. Sometimes I can throw a line or two in easily, but other times I can't because I don't want conversations to come off as planned out. A lot of the time, I write something funny and then go back and play with it until it sounds natural and not so… rigid and forced. Humor should be relaxed.

**Neitzarr: **That's partly why I respond to reviews. I know people enjoy getting a response, especially when they have questions. I also like chatting and making friends. And yes, I agree. It was a bit awkward and I think that had to do with the fact that I had this whole scene in my head planned out. So… I wrote it as if my readers knew what was going on; as if they were in my head too. Sometimes I write how I talk which is often confusing.  
I moved to America when I was a kid and I had to learn English. I knew a tiny bit when I first got here, but I learned the majority of it just by being around it all the time. No one I knew/know spoke/speaks Russian and so English was the only way I could communicate if I wanted to have friends. But I perfected my English because I like writing. My first stories on ffnet were dictated and I had someone write them down for me (because my writing was terrible). I'm not totally bilingual though. Don't be fooled – my Russian is now horrible.  
Hooray! Nothing to improve on! I've come a long way since my days of one-shots. I also feel like I've come a long way since chapter one of _Axel's Fables_ (which was published almost a year ago! Time goes by so freaking fast!). As for my penname, my American first name starts with F and my last name starts with K. Kiwi is my favorite fruit. I suppose I could've been "Francis Kiwi" but I didn't want to give away my identity (because I was a paranoid little shit) and so I just decided on the word 'free' because free = good. I love things that are free.

**Sunriseonmymind: **I do care a LOT about readers and reviewers. I love reviews, regardless of what they say and I think it's super cute that you and your girlfriend read fanfiction and share stories and whatnot. It always makes me giddy when I find out my stories travel by word of mouth. I'm finding it rather adorable that you say you enjoy _Axel's Fables _more than Paopu. I also think it's absolutely amazing to be described as 'super cool' since I'm incredibly awkward, shy, unrefined, inattentive, unnecessarily loud, and generally difficult to get along with. I'm glad none of that shows in my writing.  
I appreciate you reconsidering Demyx and Zexion mostly because they are an awesome couple. However, there are few well-written Demyx and Zexion stories out there and, sorry to sound like an egotistical douchebag, I believe you are correct when you say that authors don't do a good job of writing them. Usually Demyx is some awkward oaf who bumbles around acting as if he's borderline retarded and Zexion is some overly mean, super introverted jerk who's only redeeming quality is the fact that he cuts / tries to kill himself. It's all very uninteresting. But I'm glad I could change your mind a little bit about the coupling.  
This has crossed my mind. Zexion is on the fence, but he is being rather accepting. However, I do have a reason for why he's being accepting and it has a little bit to do with the fact that he's afraid to die and a little bit to do with something else that will come around later. I don't want to spoon feed conclusions to my readers so I'm attempting to just hint at certain things. Hopefully people will catch on when I start hinting and there will be no confusion. The story is still in its early stages thought and I don't want to give it all away juuuuust yet.  
Whoa. Top five? Damn. I'm glad I could deliver. As for the awkwardness, that's exactly why I never leave reviews. That, and because I don't know what to say if I've already reviewed once. So chapter stories are a bitch to review. I feel your pain and palpable awkwardness. Let's high-five and see if that makes the awkwardness a little less.

**Alstarryn: **Douchebag Zexion is definitely temporary. Writing him as a complete asshole is fun, but it can't last forever because I know readers will start to tire of his antics. Eventually he will probably seriously rip into Demyx and I'm not sure how Demyx will take it. He'll have to take it in stride, get angry and fight back, or let it slowly eat away at him. I'm not sure how that'll play out yet though.  
I'm a little sleep-deprived, but other than that, I'm all right. I need to start writing the next chapter of _Axel's Fables_! Just have to find time between my jobs and school. I am so incredibly excited about summer.


	4. A Pleasant Conversation

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Late. Late. Late. I know, I know, I know. And I feel terrible about it already. If you read _AF_, you know the story of why this is late. If you don't, I'll give you a quick fill-in:

I'm lazy. I lost my job at the deli. I was involved in an incredibly time-consuming relationship that is now over. I got an apartment. I painted the apartment. I built a loft bed with my mother. And I realize that summer time makes me so, so, so lazy about updating and it gives me bad, bad, BAD writer's block.

On the upside, all the above mentioned is mostly done with. No more 3 month waiting period for me to update because I **hate** it when authors do that. And I hate that I did that. And I'm sorry. That doesn't really amount to shit, but, well… There it is.

All right, so… Onward to story!

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 3: **A Pleasant Conversation

**This was some **serious bullshit.

He had biked to the grocery store to pick up a few things and though he had only been in the store a couple minutes (ten at the most), someone had managed to drive onto the sidewalk and partially run his bike over. The back half of his bicycle was nearly crumpled all the way to the ground in a depressing heap and Riku, not wanting to walk the three miles it would take to get to his house, groaned and dropped his grocery bags to the ground.

This probably had something to do with Axel. He wasn't sure how, but he had a feeling this had something to do with Axel. Devious bastard.

Riku swore under his breath. He should've just taken his car to the grocery store. It was nine in the morning and his father was at work, his mother was off somewhere doing God knows what, and Axel was passed out in his bed upstairs. No one was answering their phones. No one could be bothered.

Which really wasn't any different than usual. Riku normally felt largely ignored by everyone in his household.

"Is that your bike?"

Riku glanced over his shoulder at the voice and was immediately enticed by the girl who had spoken. She was a petite thing with auburn hair and very large, very beautiful eyes that were some strange mix between blue and… violet, maybe? He had never seen her around before. She looked incredibly feminine (she was wearing a light pink dress and sandals and all ten of her nails were painted) and she was easily pretty enough to be seen around with him.

"Are… Are you okay?" she asked. She walked closer to him and smiled slightly and Riku got a whiff of her scent.

… She smelled exactly like his mother. Like his father.

… She smelled like Un Monde Parfait.

"You smell like my dad," Riku blurted. It wasn't like him to get embarrassed and he was usually quite smooth. He'd write this off as being traumatized by the fact that some asshole ran his bicycle over and didn't bother to leave a note or anything. "Sorry, I… I mean you smell like one of the perfumes he sells."

She giggled behind her hand. "So you're Riku? You don't look much like your dad."

"He's my step dad. And about the bike… It is mine." He motioned over to it and then let out a soft sigh when he saw how awful it looked all crushed into the ground like the weight of the world was just too much for it to bear.

"Well, this is embarrassing. When my best friend ran the bike over, I didn't think it'd belong to someone so famous and… handsome."

Riku couldn't help but smirk. "I think famous is exaggerating a little bit. I'll take handsome though."

She giggled behind her hand again and then extended it for him to shake. "I'm Kairi, by the way. I was waiting for the owner of the bike to come out of the store so I could give him or her a ride home. My friend bolted."

He shook her hand and then cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you sweet? I thought I was going to have to walk."

Kairi smiled. "Well, looks like today's your lucky day. And mine too because you could be _really _angry and _really _displeasing to look at. I'm glad you're neither."

Riku smiled at her. Surely _she _didn't think he was gay. And clearly she was in to him, right? And he _needed_, definitely _needed_ a girlfriend to get everyone off his back about being gay. Kairi would be the perfect declaration of heterosexuality to hang off his arm.

••••••••••••••

"**Where's your butler?"**

"You mean Riku?" Axel joked. "He went somewhere this morning on his bike and hasn't come back yet." He was sitting on his bed, a notebook in his hands, and was lazily sketching a very bad picture of Riku's mother if she were fat and being eaten by foreign tourists. It was only eleven in the morning and Axel, who usually didn't get up any earlier than noon, was awake because Roxas had dropped by to bestow good morning kisses upon his lips.

And he'd wake up for that. He wouldn't even be begrudging about it.

"What if something bad happened to him?" Sora asked, worry crossing his features.

Axel was a bit begrudging about _that_, though. Roxas had come over, started to play with Axel, and then immediately stopped their games when Sora showed up too. Why Sora couldn't know about their relationship was beyond Axel's breadth of knowledge, but he didn't question Roxas or his decisions. Mostly because Roxas never questioned _his_ decisions.

"Then he's probably lying in a ditch somewhere dead, huh?" Axel replied nonchalantly.

Roxas offered a small smile to the redhead. "Don't be mean. Sora just wants to ogle your brother some more. Then maybe go home and fantasize about what's lingering beneath the waistband of his too-tight jeans."

"Shut up!" the brunet growled. He had been pacing the length of the room (he had only followed Roxas over because he wanted to see Riku) and he stopped, giving his twin a hard glare. "His jeans aren't too-tight and I'm _not_ fantasizing about him. I _don't_ fantasize about him."

Roxas rolled his eyes and leaned back against Axel's legs. He could practically _hear_ his boyfriend purr in delight at the touch even though it was minor. "All right, Sor. Don't get your panties all tangled in a bunch or Riku will have trouble removing them later."

The redhead barked out a laugh. "Good one." He offered his fist for Roxas to pound and the blond did so accordingly.

Sora's face burned in embarrassment. "You know, you guys make fun of me and Riku a lot, but every time you two are together, you're touching. And I know you sneak out at night, Roxas, probably to have a midnight rendezvous with Axel," he stated accusingly.

His blond brow knit together and he shook his head. "Think what you want. We're just good friends. I can't help it if I'm –"

"Inappropriately close to your best friend?" Sora crossed his arms. "Your head is so far up his ass, you may as well check for polyps while you're up there."

Axel laughed and then immediately stopped when Roxas shot him an agitated look. He awkwardly cleared his throat and mumbled, "Well, it's true…" and failed to recognize the hurt that crossed the blonde's features.

Maybe… Maybe he _was_ too far up Axel's ass. And maybe he needed to lay off because maybe he was annoying his boyfriend.

His cheeks heated in embarrassment and he slipped off the bed. The look of dismay that crossed Axel's features went unnoticed and Roxas offered his twin brother a little shoulder-shove as he walked past him.

"At least I'm not pining for someone who doesn't want me," he growled.

Sora shoved Roxas back. "He doesn't _not_ want me!"

Roxas gave Sora a shove. "He's pretending to _not_ be a faggot so he can have an excuse to get away from you!"

The brunet's cheeks burned and his teeth gritted together. "Oh, really? So what's Axel's excuse? Is he hiding his relationship with you because you're a… a MOPED?"

Roxas paused and let his shoulders sag slightly. "A… A what?"

"A Moped," Axel responded from the bed. He had set his drawing down and was watching the twins intently. "It's a type of motor vehicle –"

"I know what a Moped is!" the blond growled. "How does that apply to me?"

"Mopeds are fun to ride around on, but you don't want your friends to see you with it because it's decidedly wimpy and embarrassing," Axel explained. "So Sora, who's actually really on the ball with clever retorts today, is saying I'm hiding our relationship because you're fun to play with, but I would die if my friends or family saw us together."

Roxas didn't know who to be angrier at: Sora, for calling him a Moped to begin with, or Axel, who didn't see the need to deny this information. He didn't want to take a stance on the matter at all and he wasn't even running to the blonde's defense. Roxas blushed and glared hotly at Axel and then at Sora.

"Whatever. You two faggots can fuck away all your aggression as soon as I leave." He walked over to the door to Axel's room and slipped his shoes on his feet.

"Hey, hey… What's wrong? Where you going?" the redhead asked as he hopped off the bed.

"No point in staying here when you and Sora seem to agree that I'm a fucking embarrassment to be seen with," Roxas growled as he swung the door to Axel's room open. He made eye contact with his boyfriend and ignored the mixture of confusion and slight hurt that lingered behind his deeply green eyes.

"Roxy, I wasn't –" Axel was quickly cut off by the blond storming out of the room and slamming the door behind him. Sora flinched and then shifted awkwardly on his feet. He and Roxas hadn't stopped fighting since yesterday. Probably because the blond had nothing nice to say about Riku and Sora was madly in love with the pretty boy.

He had to stand up for his man even if Riku wasn't technically _his_ man.

And it seemed Axel didn't see a need to stand up for Roxas at all.

••••••••••••••

"**So I've decided **that maybe you aren't a worthless sack of waste and maybe it would be beneficial to listen to you."

Demyx rubbed tiredly at his eyes and looked at Zexion sleepily. "Um… Mazal tov?" he responded unsurely. "I'm glad you don't think your conscience is a worthless sack of waste."

"Let's get something straight though," Zexion continued, as if Demyx hadn't said anything at all, "I don't think you're my conscience. I believe this is some sort of… game and you're in cahoots with someone. Who this person may be, I can't be sure, but if I need to change in order to stay alive then so be it."

Demyx yawned and began to paw through the shorter boy's cabinets for a glass. He, unlike Zexion, grabbed the first glass he could find, and filled with it water from the kitchen sink. He gulped it all down, ignoring the look of absolute disgust on the other's face.

"I have _filtered water_. We aren't cavemen, Conscience. You don't need to drink city water."

Demyx raised his eyebrows and shrugged as he refilled his glass and downed it a second time. He forgot that alcohol made him incredibly thirsty. Even when he didn't drink a lot, he always woke up in the morning feeling as if someone had shoved a few fistfuls of sand in his mouth.

"And are you even listening?" Zexion slipped off the countertop from where he sat and then regretted it. He was so much shorter than Demyx and it was somewhat unsettling. "I said I was going to listen to you. Aren't you pleased? Is that not exactly what you wanted?"

The blond shrugged and placed his glass in the sink. "I guess. You don't believe I'm your conscience, so I'm not fully on board with –"

"You're NOT my conscience!" Zexion growled, followed by an agitated sigh when Demyx removed the notebook from the waistband of his boxers and marked down the shorter boy's little outburst. "Why does it matter what I believe? If I'm going to listen and attempt to change, why does it matter?"

Demyx mulled this over and nibbled the end of his pen. "Because, Zexion… You need to realize that even when I'm not in human form or in your vicinity, I'm still going to be watching. Reverting back to your old ways _after_ the six month period doesn't mean you still get to live."

"So you're going to stalk me for the rest of my life?" He glowered.

"No, silly, I'm going to be your _conscience _for the rest of your life. I'm glad you've decided to listen. I'm also thrilled you don't think I'm a… what, now? Worthless sack of waste? But you've still got a lot of work to do."

Zexion gritted his teeth together and gaze Demyx a hard, uncompromising look. Obviously there was no pleasing the blond. He was in Zexion's house, drinking his crappy city water, sleeping on his couch, using his blankets, and schmoozing with his neighbors... And yet he still wasn't entirely pleased with Zexion agreeing to listen to him.

All because Zexion didn't believe he was some metaphorical entity from the depths of his expansive mind.

"So!" Demyx stated cheerily. "What's on the agenda for today?"

_Hopefully your death_, Zexion thought irritably.

"Hey," the blond said. "I heard that."

He blushed. Demyx was way too good at this.

••••••••••••••

**They were sitting **in the park and Zexion was reading a book that, in Demyx's opinion, was about the size and weight of his body. It was an old looking thing that was only impressive because of how thick and dense it was. Demyx didn't read much, but he knew two things: the Bible was a really, really long book, and books that were longer than the Bible were probably pretentious because they were longer than the freaking Bible.

But the blond was content to sit there with Zexion as he thumbed through his massive book. He liked the park and it was a nice day to be outside. His hands sat on his legs and he tapped his fingers against his kneecaps and mumbled something under his breath. He watched as people walked by with their children or their dogs or holding hands with their loved ones and he continued to tap, as if using their movements to form a beat.

_Obviously a test… _Zexion thought bitterly as his eyes diverted from his book briefly to glance at the other's hands. He wasn't easily distracted, he just… really _disliked_ distractions. And Demyx was a giant walking distraction who just so happened to be drumming on his legs while Zexion was trying to read.

Oh. And mumbling something to go along with it. Because this was some kind of test. Because Demyx was his conscience or some such bullshit like that.

Zexion's tongue came out to lick at his lips and he breathed a small sigh. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. It only made him sound much more murderous, but he was hoping the blond wouldn't notice.

"Oh, uh…" Demyx shrugged. "Nothing."

Zexion smirked. "My conscience is lying to me. The irony is palpable."

He stared at the shorter boy and rolled the words over in his head a few times. "Not lying. I just…" He paused. "The beat of life," Demyx stated. "I'm following it."

Zexion couldn't help his interest. He marked the page in his book with a Z-shaped bookmark and closed it, setting it on his lap and giving the blond his full attention. "All right, then. The beat of life. Enlighten me."

Demyx blushed. "It's… stupid," he mumbled. "It's something I just –"

"Made up?" Zexion offered.

"Noticed," he corrected. "Do you listen to music?"

The subject change seemed abrupt, but the shorter boy didn't let it bother him. He pulled his iPod from the pocket of his sweater and waved it at Demyx. Of course he listened to music. If the blond had bothered to pay attention at all, maybe he might've noticed that that was about all Zexion did. Aside from reading, anyway.

"Right, okay, well, all songs have a beat, right?"

Zexion nodded and placed his iPod back in the pocket of his sweater. "I suppose this is true."

"Okay, so… The world has its own beat. Let me show you." He faced Zexion as best he could on the bench and hesitantly unzipped the other's sweater just slightly. The shorter boy was wearing a black button-up shirt and Demyx undid the first button.

Zexion jerked back. "I thought we talked about the no-touching thing," he growled.

Demyx tried not to smile. "No, come on…" He grabbed Zexion's wrists and yanked the other toward himself. "Just give me a chance."

He didn't point out that he was already _giving_ Demyx a chance by playing pretend with him. Instead, he just breathed a heavy sigh through his nose and let his shoulders relax slightly. He felt the blonde's warm thumbs just under his collarbone and he ignored the hatred that bubbled in the pit of his stomach every time he was touched.

"Close your eyes."

"Don't kiss me."

Demyx snorted. "I'll try to resist."

Hesitantly, Zexion closed his eyes.

"Do you feel your heart beating?"

"I'd be dead if I didn't."

"Or maybe really stupid," Demyx teased.

Zexion gave him a sour look and marked this moment down in the mental journal he was keeping. By the end of all of this, he was going to give Demyx serious hell for all this bullshit. This charade couldn't last forever and he was going to remember every single injustice in this grand scheme. Retribution would be swift and painful.

"Now if you listen to the rhythm of your heart…" Demyx tapped his thumbs against Zexion's chest and gently counted, "One, two… three, four… One, two… Three, four… See, your body has its own rhythm. Your heart beats kind of fast, you know that?"

Zexion blushed slightly and slid himself out of Demyx's reach. He rebuttoned the button on his shirt and zipped his sweater. "I'm just not very athletic," he defended.

Demyx raised his brows and shrugged. "Everyone has their own rhythm which makes up the world's rhythm. So just watch everyone in the park and count 'one, two, three, four' and you'll notice that people's footsteps or the flapping of birds' wings all fall into these intervals. Sometimes faster or slower, but…"

His voice trailed off because as much as Zexion wanted to shake off what Demyx had just told him and roll his eyes and go back to reading, he couldn't. He began to count and when he found a steady beat, he noticed that Demyx was, surprisingly, correct. People's footsteps did fall on these intervals. When runners crossed his path, their footsteps just fell at quicker intervals. There was a beat and everyone was following it and Zexion…

Well, he had never noticed. Everything had always seemed like chaos.

••••••••••••••

"**Why is your **brother so pissed off at me?" Axel was sitting on a float in the pool, sunglasses on his face and his cellphone in his hands. "I called him like… twice and he won't answer."

Sora was cleaning out the pool filters and ignored Axel. He knew he shouldn't have been so mean to Roxas because he knew his brother's tough exterior was just a complete and total façade. He knew that his twin was a lamb on the inside. Sensitive, docile, and sweet, and he knew he had been pushing him by making fun of his and Axel's relationship.

"Whatever," the redhead muttered, clearly irritated. "I can't help someone who won't even tell me why they're angry."

Sora frowned and made a face as he attempted to fish out a large, dead toad from the pool filter. He grabbed its leg and the slimy thing slipped from his hand and plopped right back in the water. He then scooped his hands under it and slowly lifted it out of the water, only to groan when he stood and the toad slid from his hands and onto the ground. He hated dead things, especially when they were slimy.

"Oh, look at that. Demyx is such a lovely distraction. He said Zexion's on his side…" Axel trailed off and then abruptly continued, "Demyx said he doesn't think he's a worthless sack of waste so… that's good." He wasn't sure when he had received these text messages; they were forwards from Riku.

Sora's brow furrowed. "That's an ambiguous sentence."

The redhead paused. "… You're an ambiguous sentence."

The brunet tossed the other a look and tried to inch the dead toad into the grass. "Well, who doesn't think who is a worthless sack of waste? See, that sentence says that Demyx doesn't think Zexion is a worthless sack of waste. But it could be interpreted to mean –"

Axel sighed. "Blah, blah, blah. Where the hell is Riku?"

Sora glanced at the toad that was almost in the grass and, without another thought, picked it up (squeezing it in his hand so he wouldn't drop it) and lobbed it hard at Axel.

Shock crossed both their features as the toad hit the redhead right in the face, causing him to drop his phone into the pool water. He grabbed the toad off his face and squeezed it, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes transfixing into a glare at Sora.

The brunet's eyes went wide when he realized what he had just done and he started to run as soon as Axel slipped off his float and made it _really_ clear he was going to harm the smaller boy.

"Sora!" he yelled, climbing out of the pool and scraping his knees in the process. "You're going to _eat_ this fucking toad!" He gripped the amphibian in his hand and ran after Sora, quickly catching up to him and tackling the other onto the ground.

His knees scraped against the pavement and Axel sat atop of him. He grabbed a fistful of the other's chocolate locks and yanked his head back, causing Sora to open his mouth in pain. The redhead took this opportunity to shove the dead toad in the brunet's mouth.

"Don't throw things at me, Pool Boy!"

Sora hacked the toad up onto the pavement and cringed at the slimy residue that was left inside his mouth. Goose bumps erupted all over his body and he wanted to recoil, but physically couldn't because of Axel's weight on top of him.

"You just shoved a dead toad in my mouth!"

"Well don't act like a twelve year old!"

The brunet wiggled under the taller boy and managed to turn himself around. He was staring face-up at Axel and the redhead was looking incredibly annoyed. His eyebrows were knit together and his top lip was pulled up in a snarl.

"Don't be rude then! Didn't anyone teach you manners?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Me? Rude? You threw a dead toad at me because I cut you off. You're the rude one."

Sora's lips drew into a straight, thin line and he glared up at the other. "Get off."

"Pft. Make me."

Sora reached up and gave Axel a surprisingly hard shove, pushing most of the redhead's weight off him. He struggled out from under the taller boy and once mostly free, he clawed on to Axel's back and yanked his strands of hair.

"Let go!" the redhead yelled, grabbing Sora's wrists and trying, quite unsuccessfully, to yank the boy over his body and onto the concrete. He stood up and tried to shake the other off as if he were water. "Get off! Get off me right now or I swear to God –"

"Hey!" Riku barked. "What the fuck are you guys doing?"

Both Axel and Sora were surprised at not only Riku's sudden appearance but also the aggression that laced his words. Embarrassed, the brunet slid down from the taller boy's back and Axel gave the other a smack upside the back of his head.

"You have dead toad in your hair," he muttered before walking over to Riku and slinging an arm around his step brother. "Where ya been, Ri?"

He slipped out from under Axel's grasp and gave him a disgusted look. "What the fuck was that?"

Sora was trying to remove any bits of toad from his spiky locks. His cheeks were a deep crimson and he tried to ignore the way Riku was looking at him.

"Oh, uh… we were playing a game."

"A game," Riku responded shortly.

"Yea. Dead toad football. I was winning."

"You sure? Looked to me like two gay guys trying –"

Axel stopped him. "Sora has the hots for you only, Ri. I would be jealous, but…" He looked the brunet up and down and failed to see the look Riku gave him. "I can do better."

Sora's teeth came together as his jaw clenched and he never realized what an _ass_ Axel was until now. Why Roxas liked him was beyond his breadth of knowledge and he reasoned that he had never noticed the redhead's obnoxious behavior because he was always being charmed by Riku.

But now he wasn't. And Axel's obscene way of acting was in full, offensive view.

"He shoved a toad in my mouth!" Sora yelled, pointing a finger accusingly at Axel who feigned innocence.

Riku looked at him strangely. "Is that… slang for forced BJ or something?"

Axel laughed and Sora's cheeks deepened to a further shade of red. "N-no! That's what happened!" he hollered, somewhat girlishly.

Riku rolled his eyes. "Look, I have a girl coming over later and I need you two to be as normal as you can possibly be."

"A girl?" Axel purred. "Finally growing that beard, Ri?"

"Bite me," he responded shortly. "Demyx is coming over later to discuss Guilty Conscience. I invited her over for snacks, so…" He turned to Sora. "You be less gay." He turned to Axel. "You be less of an inconsiderate dickwad." He turned to look for Roxas and was surprised when he didn't see the blond. "And… when someone sees Roxas, tell him not to be so um…"

"Girly? Needy? Emotional?" Axel offered. "And are you going to try to _not_ be jealous if Sora dares to touch me?"

Riku's cheeks heated considerably and he muttered out a string of incoherent syllables.

"What was that, Pot? The kettle can't hear you."

Riku glared. "I'm not jealous. Just freaked out to see my step brother half-naked with his hands all over some boy."

Sora ignored the hurt that built in his chest. He wasn't _some boy_. And who was this _girl _Riku was talking about anyway? Was that why he had been gone so long that morning? And what right did Axel have to talk so badly about Roxas when they were supposed to be best friends? His tongue darted out to lick at his lips and he crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

"I'm standing right here, you know."

Riku and Axel tossed Sora a look and then they glanced at each other.

Annoyed, the brunet stomped over to where his sandals were and shoved them on his feet. He grabbed his shirt off the back of one of the pool chairs and yanked it over his head defiantly. Riku and Axel were really good at treating people like crap and the brunet was feeling very used by both of them. He had come up with Guilty Conscience. He had drawn up the plans for it. He had agreed to clean their pool so Demyx could go play pretend.

All to impress Riku, of course, and it wasn't working. Instead, Sora was just suffering severe physical and emotional abuse. He should really consider suing.

A pout crossed his features and as he made his way toward the gate to exit the pool, Riku reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Hey, wait…" He yanked Sora back and paused. He glanced nervously over his shoulder, saw the knowing look Axel was giving him, and swallowed his apology. "Aren't you going to clean up our pool?" he said instead.

Hurt took over and he jerked away from Riku. "Did you learn how to be a bitch from your slutty mom?"

Heat crawled up the back of Riku's neck and he gave Axel a very dirty, very dark look as the redhead laughed and yelled something like, "Ooh, are you gonna take that?"

But it didn't matter because Sora was already gone with nothing but his feelings hurt and a whole list of reasons for why Roxas should stop being friends with Axel.

••••••••••••••

**They were sitting **on the bus in Zexion's usual seat. They had left the park because the sky had quickly become covered with gray clouds and while Demyx wouldn't have minded being caught in the rain, Zexion certainly had seemed distressed. The blond had a feeling the other's real worry was that his giant book would melt if it got wet.

It was quiet on the bus because it wasn't crowded. Zexion was listening to his iPod, as usual, and the tiniest of smiles crossed Demyx's lips when he realized he could hear what the other was listening to. Usually he was unintentionally nosey, but Zexion was a rather interesting character and Demyx was content enough to eavesdrop to see what kind of classical music or NPR-esque thing he was listening to.

…_I'm your mother fuckin' conscience.  
That's nonsense! Go in and gaffe the money and run to one of your aunt's cribs. And borrow a damn dress, and one of her blond wigs…_

Demyx's smile broke into a large grin and he glanced over at Zexion who took no notice of him. He never, ever, not in a _million years _would've pegged the bookworm as someone who would listen to rap music. Much less Eminem.

He shifted in his seat, making himself more comfortable, and tried to keep his smile down. He supposed that was what he liked most about people. They were always full of the strangest surprises. And whether Zexion wanted to pretend he didn't believe Demyx was his conscience or not, there he was on the bus listening to _Guilty Conscience _by Eminem.

"Hey…"

"Hm?" Demyx caught his lower lip between his teeth. He didn't feel like explaining to Zexion why he had been smiling. Something told him the other was incredibly private and wouldn't appreciate his conscience eavesdropping. He also didn't feel like dealing with the questions that were sure to come along with why Demyx didn't know the other's taste in music.

"Can I ask you something, Conscience?" Zexion mumbled as he pulled his headphones from his ears and press the 'pause' button on his iPod.

"Shoot." The blond crossed his legs and put his hands in his lap.

"What you said earlier, in the park…" He paused for a moment. "If the world is moving at intervals like you –"

"A beat," Demyx corrected. He wasn't so fond of the word 'interval' because it made his very astute observation sound like math or science and he _hated_ math and science.

Zexion appeared mildly annoyed, but took it in stride. "Fine. If the world is moving at _beats _like you say, then… Is it possible to be moving _out_ of time? If everyone moves in the space of four intervals, is it possible that people with psychological problems or mental disabilities are moving at different interval sets? Like ones of five or six?"

Demyx stared.

"And do you think that perhaps it's possible, though maybe a bit illogical, that those of us who are unable to coexist with others are simply moving at an interval that's… slower or faster? Or, rather… It's not an interval problem, but a matter of timing?"

Demyx opened his mouth to answer, but Zexion continued.

"So for someone to become wholly one with the universe and the people who are cohabiting Earth, one would need to get his beats, as it were, in time with everyone else's or attempt to change his or her interval so he or she isn't stepping out of time, right? Of course, we'd need a good bit of math and physics to help back up the claim that people are moving at this set of timed beats. How do you know it's four, by the way? How do you know we aren't moving at an interval of eight or twelve?"

Demyx raised his brows and frowned. "I … made it up," he stated apologetically. "I just counted to four, but you could count to six or eight or twelve and… it'd be the same. I noticed everyone moving to a beat, but I didn't… I just made up four," he concluded.

He _did_ believe the world moved to a beat. He just didn't believe that he was smart enough to figure that out. He believed Zexion was really giving him way too much credit.

And Zexion, not one to delve his time and knowledge into something he thought was useless or wasteful, shoved his earbuds back in his ears and proceeded to ignore Demyx.

He had just made the bookworm waste his time.

And even worse, he made him feel _incredibly _stupid.

••••••••••••••

**Demyx thumbed through **the notebook Axel and Riku had given him and sighed softly. They had come back to Vexen's bookstore and the blond tried to pretend he didn't notice the strange way Zexion and Vexen acted around each other. Like they didn't want to touch, but there was something they were both _dying_ to say.

And Demyx wanted to know what the big secret was because he was just naturally nosey. Not on purpose, of course. He didn't mean to be nosey, it just kind of… happened.

A sigh passed his lips as he flipped through the notebook. Zexion was off on the other side of the store and the blond could _swear_ he heard his name occasionally whispered amongst Vexen and Zexion. Maybe he was being paranoid, but it bothered him to think he was being talked about. He didn't trust Vexen. There was just something… creepy about him and Demyx couldn't bring himself to think he was a trustworthy man.

Maybe because he seemed to be _preying _on Zexion who was something like sixty years his junior (that age assessment was exaggerated, but that was certainly how it looked).

"Xigbar… Xigbar…" he mumbled as he flipped through the notebook. It had occurred to him while on the bus that maybe Riku and Axel had spoken to Xigbar about Zexion. Maybe it was written in the notebook. And maybe Demyx was just a tiny bit curious as to what _wonderful_ things Xigbar had to say about Zexion.

As he turned the page, a small 'ah' left his lips. At the top, Axel (or Riku) had scrawled _Qekpyn. _Demyx had no earthly idea how the fuck that was supposed to be said, but he knew it was Xigbar. Axel had helpfully (though maybe a bit stupidly) included a small index card in the front folder of the notebook with the English alphabet and the corresponding letters in Al Bhed.

Demyx spoke English and bad English at that. He didn't speak Al Bhed nor was he even inclined to invest himself in to speaking any kind of made-up language that he and five other extreme nerds would know.

"Okay, what did Xiggy say…" he mumbled quietly. He glanced up from the notebook and watched Vexen for a moment as he paced the length of the bookstore, making another round to Zexion and speaking to him for the seventh or eighth time.

Demyx rolled his eyes and began to slowly decipher what Axel (or Riku) had written.

_Xigbar: Twat. That's the word I'd use to describe Ice Britches over there. He used to come over every weekend and insist I turn down my music and then one day, I told him if he didn't cut the bitch act, he'd wind up curled in ball, dead and alone, with no one at his funeral because everyone would hate him. Told him he was a lonely little fuck. Didn't seem to take it that hard, but he quit coming over._

_He used to date this icy fucker named Vexen. I imagine the two of them banging was like two icebergs attempting to get it on. Would explain global warming a bit…_

Demyx reread the last part to make sure he had correctly deciphered that. He wasn't sure if Xigbar had actually _said _that or if Axel (or Riku) had taken a few creative liberties with what people had said. Either way, it was somewhat of a pleasing sentence.

It made sense to Demyx that Vexen and Zexion had once dated. Though it was significantly creepy to think about and the thought of Vexen mounting Zexion made him cringe, he could certainly see it. The way they acted around each other (no desire to touch, but a desire to be close) made their history incredibly obvious and Demyx would have to point that out.

He wondered briefly if Vexen was somewhere in the journal, but he figured not. Vexen and Zexion seemed too close and Axel and Riku had done enough research to know who and who _not_ to ask about Zexion. Vexen may very well be the only person who wasn't prodded for information about the bookworm because Vexen may very well be the only person who didn't want to see Zexion get brutally maimed or killed.

Demyx looked down at the notebook and continued slowly reading.

_Don't really know what happened with either of them. I just figured they were dating because Vexen was always around here a lot and he was always with Zexion. Suppose they could've been doing some heavy reading together, but guys don't sit around and not fuck. Or maybe they do, but they're not the guys I'd hang out with._

Demyx rolled his eyes. Xigbar was such a pig and he couldn't tell if that was just a charade or if he was _actually _as gross as he acted.

_Vexen stopped showing up after a while and I figured they broke up. Spoke to Vexen once. Saw him leaving Ice Queen's place one morning and he looked real upset. I asked him if the little Humbug had eaten his heart in the middle of the night and Vexen just shook his head and said he understood why people said the crappy things they do about Zexion._

The blond shifted uncomfortably and made a face. Zexion's bad attitude, according to Xigbar, had cost him his relationship with Vexen and whether or not that was a good thing, he wasn't quite sure, but…

Well, Demyx really didn't have dating advice, unfortunately. He had never been in love with anyone before because it had never occurred to him to love someone that wasn't his dad. He had been carnal before, but it had always been out of lust and Demyx wasn't the type to get attached because he didn't break hearts.

And he had a feeling that when he fell in love, there wouldn't be heartache because when he fell in love, that person would be _the one_.

And Demyx would cling to them for dear life.

••••••••••••••

**When he felt **the coast was clear, he made his way across the bookstore and took a seat next to Zexion. He had stuffed the notebook in the back waistband of his jeans and he looked around the bookstore for Vexen before speaking to the smaller boy.

"Hey, so, can I ask –" He stopped and sighed deeply. Zexion had his headphones in and was ignoring the other's presence. Demyx failed to believe the other genuinely hadn't seen or heard or felt him come over and he stared at the other, hard, and felt he had won when Zexion sighed loudly and removed his earbuds from his ears.

"What?" he growled.

"You shouldn't be mad at me."

"Is that really what you wanted to say?" the bookworm asked.

"No," Demyx mumbled. "I wanted to know why Vexen acts the way he does."

Zexion scoffed. "You're my conscience. You should –"

"I know you guys dated," he stated hurriedly. "I mean, why does he act the way he does _now_? Like… He wants you." He tried to keep the disgust in his voice to a minimum, but the way it just dripped out of every word made it so… obvious.

Zexion either didn't notice or ignored it. "He doesn't."

Demyx raised his brows. "Yes he does. And you treated him like crap." He didn't exactly know this for a fact. He was going on what Xigbar had said and on what he hoped would be dumb luck. "I mean, you treated him like you treat everyone."

He flushed and shook his head. "I treated him exactly how I treat everyone."

Demyx gave Zexion a look. "I know. Like crap."

"Look, what do you want? I don't see what Vexen is doing that makes you think he's dying to touch me. We are two adults who, at one point, were intimate in a physical and emotional way. Now we are not. End of discussion."

Demyx glowered. "You can't tell me it's the end of the discussion."

Zexion rolled his eyes and put his headphones back in his ears. The blond pouted and took the notebook out from the back of his pants. He marked something down on the last page and a little trickle of satisfaction dripped into his stomach when he saw the annoyed look that crossed Zexion's face.

Vexen was walking back over so Demyx immediately stood and walked away from Zexion. He wanted to limit his communication with the older man because Vexen _wasn't _in the notebook. Axel and Riku had felt it wouldn't be a good idea to question him and Demyx didn't think it would be a good idea to interact with him now. It was obvious he still cared about Zexion and it was even more obvious the two were talking about Demyx and what he was up to.

Demyx could outsmart one genius. He didn't know about two.

"What was that?" Vexen whispered as he crouched down next to Zexion.

The boy removed his headphones again and shrugged. "Conscience thinks you have a thing for me still."

Vexen stiffened, but then forced himself to relax. "How charming. You've given your pet a name."

"Jealous?" Zexion somewhat teased. "Good job avoiding the accusation, by the way. Conscience must be right; you _do_ have a thing for me still."

His nonchalant attitude annoyed Vexen and the older man's lips drew into a thin line. He shook his head and corrected the other. "I'm merely your friend. Even if Demyx is _your_ conscience, he certainly isn't mine nor does he know the inner or outer depths of my mind. You're letting him get into your head, Zexion."

The bookworm glared. He hated how naïve and childish Vexen made him feel and it reminded him of why they broke up in the first place. Vexen, who was older than Zexion, had constantly treated his boyfriend like a child. Doing small things like making him put his jacket on when he felt it was too cold or teasing him about "adult" situations he "didn't understand." It had worked the other's nerves to nearly nothing.

And he did treat Vexen like crap, but only because Vexen had started it.

"Did it ever occur to you he's operating on dumb luck? You're falling for his trap. You're letting your guard down."

Zexion didn't say anything. He flipped a page in his book and glanced up at Vexen. "I don't believe in luck and I'm merely playing along."

"Don't be silly. I can read you like a book, Zexion, and I know when you're being naïve."

He blushed and immediately shoved his headphones back into his ears. Vexen knew that meant the discussion was over and he wandered off, annoyed to the very core that Demyx was right. Vexen _did_ still have a thing for Zexion and he hated how obvious it was. If that nitwit struggling to read what looked like _his own notebook_ could tell Vexen wanted Zexion, how in the world was he going to hide it from the blue haired boy himself?

A sigh parted his lips and he began to sort through a stack of books that sat on his desk. He didn't want to admit that that the little blond shit was right. He didn't want to be sucked into that boy's game. He didn't want _Zexion_ sucked into that boy's game and now it would be his mission to _prove _Demyx wrong.

He'd sacrifice a possible second chance with Zexion if it meant getting that dim-witted nobody out of his poor ex-boyfriend's face.

* * *

**A/N: **Slightly short chapter. It's about 8000 words which is about normal for this story (not counting the review section which eats up about 2000 words, sometimes more or less). I'm probably going to start the next chapter with Demyx going over to Riku and Axel's house. And Sora will have an interesting conversation with Roxas about Axel.

I know Demyx wasn't very conscience-y in this chapter, but I want this story to move slow in some parts and quick in others. Zexion has six months so… I really want to drag out the first month or so and then skip along to the third month or something like that. Zexion is still skeptical about what Demyx is, exactly, but he's doing okay behavior-wise.

… Or maybe that's all just an act for Demyx. We'll find out when he goes to work at the library.

I'm really sorry this was so terribly late. I promise that won't happen again. I just need to learn to manage my time better or not get so involved in my relationships with people. I just get sucked in. I consume people as much as they consume me. And when I'm not busy being a black hole for the people I care about, I'm busy being a black hole for the readers I care about.

Except the readers get something out of this relationship. All my other relationships, not so much.

**Thank you Aindel S. Druida for editing. Seriously guys – go check out her stories and if you need a beta, talk to her. She is hilarious, helpful, and a master of the English language. **

Thanks for favoriting, alerting, reviewing, and tapping the crap out of my story's metaphorical ass. You guys are awesome.

**Thank You for Reviewing:**

**Sana-chan9: **Apparently the Vexen x Zexion dating thing is creepy and weird. I know some people write Zexion and Vexen together, so I decided to do it too, but I definitely think it's creepy. I mean, I can see Vexen and Zexion together, but as a brief mistake kind of thing. Not a "soulmate" kind of thing. Opposites attract and V and Z are way too similar.  
Riku is super gay. He's even super gay in the games. Actually, I guess everyone kind of reeks of metrosexuality, but goddamn… Riku is so… He's just too pretty to be straight. And Axel could be straight, except his relationship with Roxas is so amazingly inappropriate.  
I don't know if being defined as a "cult leader" is a good thing. I would hate to write a story that caused hundreds of people to commit suicide or drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid. To be honest, I'd make a terrible leader of anything, especially a cult. I'm scared to die.

**GoalieGirl30: **Xigbar just gives off this creepy pervert vibe. I don't think it's his fault. I think it's his age combined with the way he talks that just makes him seem like… a horny sixteen year old trapped in a forty year old man's body. I don't wanna make Vexen too creepy, at least not yet, but he's important for plot. If I make him too creepy now, readers will be suspicious of him and I don't want that. Not yet, anyway.

**N.O.A.H: **I'm the exact same way about reviewing. I read stuff, but never review. To be fair, though, most of the stuff I read is complete and total crap and I couldn't leave a review that wouldn't be incredibly hurtful. That, and I'm really lazy.  
Thanks. I really try to capture everyone's personalities as best I can. If I'm afraid of OOC-ness, I just slap up a warning. I'm a little more lenient on my one-shots, but that's because they're one-shots and you only get a glimpse of the personality. For chapter stories though I try to get their personalities really close because I go in-depth and flawed behavior really ruins it.  
I like multi-plots even if sometimes I create too many and they're hard to deal with. This story is much easier to deal with plot-wise because I only set up a few subplots that actually tie in to the main story well. I didn't do that so much in _AF_. But you write and you learn, so I don't worry too much.  
I hope this chapter was everything you expected. Sorry about the lateness!

**IchiakiI: **Yea, apparently I'm like a pervert amongst my friends or something because I know a lot about porn. I don't know. It's not a perverted interest. It's just curiosity. And porn is kind of… funny (and gross), I think.  
My mom actually just got a new dog. It's a Jack Russell / Border Collie mix and it's really cute. My sister and I were contemplating going to Japan to spend time with our friend Megumi (we're her host family in America for Spring and Fall semester at my college), but we didn't have the money. And I broke up with my boyfriend. Err – he broke up with me. But it's all right. It wasn't working out. At all.

**Luckless-is-me: **I wanted to portray Demyx as someone who was smart, but not in the way of school or books. He understands people and how the world works (mostly) which is invaluable to Zexion who only understands what he reads in books.  
I think ultimately it's going to be an after-school type story where everyone kind of learns something about themselves. I like being able to break up the plot in chunks, too, because it's easier to progress the story that way. And I also like how smoothly everyone does seem to fit in with the personalities I've given them. I'm glad you like this story so much!

**Mz kuchiki: **I can see Demyx performing well under pressure. He isn't the type of person to build up a whole plan over a certain amount of time (like Riku and Axel). He's more of the type to just kind of wing it and hope that it works out. So far that's working pretty well for him, but he's bound to screw up sooner or later. I used to kind of act that way, but I stopped taking this medicine I was on and all my crappy personality defects went away. And by "all" I mean most.

**Gamer551: **Yikes. I see this review and I'm like "oh my God, I can't believe I haven't updated in so long." This kind of review makes me feel like such a giant… Ass. I hope you're still inclined to read! And I hope the wait didn't bother you too badly.

**Rocket-ship-Romance: **My writing is actually shit. The shit is just masked by the fact that I can write out the characters decently well and I have subpar plot ideas. I took a course last semester in school and I got almost D's and C's on all my writing assignments. I guess I should just stick to fanfiction.  
I hate reading long chapters and I avoid stories that have them because I'm a hypocrite. I actually don't really care for reading. Though my writing would probably be better if I did read more books.  
I think that's what I'm going with right now. Zexion is a douche because he's insecure, but I don't know how much I'm going to touch on that. I don't want Zexion's personality flaws to be because of some deep dark secret like he was raped. I want Zexion's flaws to be just that: flaws. Because no one is perfect and bad things don't have to happen to make you act like a jerk.  
I'd be friends with Demyx. I think he'd probably seriously annoy a lot of people, but I also think he'd be a really good friend.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Demyx definitely doesn't know how to deal with Zexion's slight show of emotion. I just don't see Demyx being the type of person who's good at comforting people when they're upset or when they cry. I see Demyx feeling incredibly awkward and trying to do something, but not really knowing what. I'm still not sure how he's going to cope when he actually gets to _know_ Zexion.

**UndineAlice: **I'm hoping the whole story will stay solid. I hate it when stories start out really good, but then they quickly fall down hill and burst into flames. I think part of why some things work (like Vexen owning the bookstore) is because I don't think, "Will this work?" I just kind of do it and hope for the best. I get sort of lazy and I just quit worrying so much about minor details. Though, that's how _AF _got somewhat fucked plotwise. But that's all right. I learned.

**MyColdHeart: **Thanks. Glad I could be some help. I noticed that ffnet has become this strange wasteland of crappy OC's and Mary-Sues/Gary-Stus. I'm glad my story doesn't fall into that shit-pile.

**Dancingsilverwolf: **Aaaah! Every time I see a review with someone going "hope you update soon," I feel sixty times worse about the wait! I'm hoping the plot will keep people from totally abandoning this. I know I should know by now that if you don't update for a while, people quit reading. And I reeeeally hope people haven't lost faith.

**CrazyPretz: **Thank you, but I'm really not great. Great is taking a crappy plot idea and making it into something fabulous. I'm… slightly above mediocre. I can take a good plot idea and make it semi-plausible. I just get lazy with plot and I end up with burning holes. It sucks. I'm glad you liked the previous chapter and I hope you liked this one too. As far as the reviews go, I don't think Zemyx has a very wide fan base. I think everyone is pretty stuck on Axel/Roxas and Sora/Riku. Zemyx gets no love!

**Queen-of-pokehearts: **Hoooraaaay. I'm traveling by word of mouth! I'm glad you and your friends like my writing. It makes me blush to hear that I'm your favorite.  
I really do greatly dislike a Zexion who can't defend himself. I'm not really into wimpy characters in general and when it's a definite masculine character or a character that can hold his own in a fight, it really turns me off from the story.  
I'm glad you liked the whole Vex/Zex thing! My beta-editor was like, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?" when I sent it over to be edited. I think she was a wee bit disgusted by it. But that's okay because it is sort of creepy.

**Neitzarr: **I know the Zemyx fan base isn't very big, so I threw in the subplot with Axel/Roxas and Riku/Sora so no one would be disappointed. The main mistake I made in _AF_, I think, was the subplots didn't get enough of a spotlight. I'm trying to give the subplot time to grow along with the main plot in this one so I can sort of cover every couple.  
I actually don't really read a whole lot because I kind of suck at it. My mind drifts and I reread the same sentences or I read pages and don't remember what happened. A couple books I liked were _Everything is Illuminated_, _When You Are Engulfed in Flames_, _Survivor, _and _The Sirens of Titan._ I struggled to think of that list which just shows how much I don't read. If you're looking for really ridiculous, humorous stories, look up Carlton Mellick III. Unless you're like… twelve. Then don't. But he writes a lot of hilarious books like _The Faggiest Vampire, The Haunted Vagina, Adolf in Wonderland, _and _Satan Burger._ All of his book covers are um… really strange so… Don't look Mellick up with mom around.

**Funeral Bell: **You'll never find a hopeless Demyx in my stories. He's never brilliant in school or with books, but he knows people and life in general. But no. I never, ever, ever, ever will write a complete and total hopeless, stupid, borderline retarded Demyx. You'll also never find a sensitive, gentle, and wildly afraid of everything Zexion. I hate, hate, hate that with a deep and burning passion.  
Thanks. I'm glad you liked this story enough to review. I know people read this story (or at least favorite/alert it) and they never review. Reviews are really helpful, regardless of what they say. Just to know someone is enjoying the shit out of this story is enough to make me want to update. Provided I'm not being a lazy slag who's suffering from heartache and writer's block.  
I hope this update was worth the wait. Glad I could cure your boredom!

**Thetinynocturne: **Wow. Thanks. I need to eat some humble pie, but I actually do think I'm kind of funny. I usually reread what I've written and I'll find myself smiling or chuckling about something that I think is just… clever. Too bad my cleverness doesn't translate to real life and when people insult me, the only retort I have is like "WELL FUCK YOU" which is not clever or witty at all. And it just makes me seem crazy.  
I'm glad you like my writing style. I think my writing is… decent. But I think if I thought it was perfect there wouldn't be any reason for me to suspect that maybe I should improve. And there's always room for improvement. Also, typos are okay. I make them all the time. I only reread the review responses one time before I post the story so I'm sure they're riddled with typos and shit that doesn't make sense.

**PumpkinLenses: **I don't know how much of Zexion's past will come in to play. I can safely say that right now, I have no plans for some big, deep dark secret to come spilling out and that's why Zexion is the way he is. I want this story to be simple: Zexion is a jerk because he's just flawed. He isn't a jerk because of some big _thing_. He just… is the way he is.

**Ano: **Thanks. This premise was brewing in my head for a while. That's usually what happens. I think of something, but then I sit on it for a long time until I actually have something mostly worked out that would work for a chapter story. I don't post willy-nilly because I know not everything would be read. I also know I can't write all genres.


	5. The Basics of Etiquette

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Late. Late. Late. And un-beta-ed. Because of time constraints, I only read this through one time so please, please bear with me on any mistakes. I know they're in there and they're just waiting to jump out at me when I go back to look this over before writing chapter 5.

Just ignore any grammatical mistakes or spelling errors. What I'm mostly worried about is a lack of words. I think way faster than I type so I tend to omit words by mistake. I hope I didn't do this too much and I hope that if I did do it a lot, the story still makes sense.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 4: **The Basics of Etiquette

**How he had **managed to escape from Zexion's house without much questioning was something he was rather grateful for. The shorter boy had seemed quite pleased Demyx wanted to leave his apartment for a while and he didn't even bother asking when or if Demyx would be coming back. Zexion was grateful for the alone time and he really meant _alone_ because he wasn't totally convinced Demyx was watching him all the time. It wasn't possible.

Or it shouldn't be, anyway. Zexion didn't want to be stalked.

"And _then _we –"

Axel yawned loudly and then pretended he hadn't meant to be so rude. "Excuse me." He waved his hand. "This story is just so tragically boring, I –"

Demyx's brow furrowed. "What do you want me to do to him?"

"Well, if you're constantly boring him with stories like this, I think that's punishment enough," Axel mumbled to himself. He glanced over at Roxas who sat on the other side of the pool house, clearly ignoring the redhead. Sora hadn't bothered to show up (much to Riku's dismay) and Kairi, the girl Riku had invited over, sat comfortably next to the silver haired boy, a look of confusion gracing her pretty features.

Riku hadn't really bothered to explain to her what was going on. She was arm candy and - call him misogynistic - he didn't think she'd be able to comprehend what was going on. Not _all_ women were stupid, he supposed, but the women he had been exposed to were fairly dense. He was biased.

"I'm being his conscience!" Demyx defended. "I can't rape him up the ass with my fist or stab him while he's sleeping or hang him by his ankles from the roof of the apartment building or smother him with a pillow –"

"Have you…" Roxas hesitated. "Have you been thinking about this a lot?"

Demyx blushed and mumbled something like, "He's difficult. It's only natural I'd think of ways to do him in."

Riku snorted. "Been there, done that," he mumbled, waving his hand somewhat dismissively and smirking when he heard Axel snicker next to him.

"Look, Demy," the redhead began. He stood up from the couch and placed an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "You want to impress us then actually _do_ something to Zexion. Annoying the shit out of him is good and all, but I can do that by taking his seat on the bus or dog-earring all the pages in my library books."

Roxas scoffed and said something like, "Like you can read," under his breath.

Axel shot him an embarrassed look and tried to shake off the comment. Had that… Was that a comment about his dyslexia? And if so, didn't Roxas know that that was kind of off-limits? He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly and tried to ignore the sudden, palpable tension in the room. Roxas was smirking and Riku had his eyebrows raised questioningly.

"U-um," Axel stuttered. "Right, so, Zexion… I wasn't joking when I said teach him a lesson."

Demyx paused. "I taught him about the beat of the world!" he offered.

The redhead paused and then sighed, letting his shoulders sag with disappointment. "Okay, look, this is my fault. I should've given you a more concrete plan. Here's what I want you to do, Dem –"

"I have a question," Roxas suddenly interjected. He slipped off the barstool he had been sitting on and walked over to where Riku and Kairi sat. Quite rudely, he sat himself in-between them much to Riku's consternation and Kairi's amusement. "How do we know this chick – no offense – isn't a mole for Zexion?"

Silence crossed the room and Riku and Axel exchanged a look. Kairi, no longer looking amused, raised her eyebrows. "I don't even know who that is," she stated.

"Short dude, bad temper, slate-colored hair and gray eyes?" Roxas said. "Works at the library at the college?"

She offered a small shrug of her shoulders and looked at Riku who hadn't broken eye-contact with Axel. Demyx stood there awkwardly under the redhead's arm. He made a noise in his throat and blushed heatedly when everyone's attention suddenly snapped to him.

"I, uh, sorry – I think maybe I just have something in my thr–"

"You." Axel pointed to Kairi and snapped his fingers at her. "How do we know you aren't lying?"

She frowned and then enlightenment crossed her features. "In third grade, I think Zexion broke my –"

"Leave."

Riku stood suddenly and gave his step brother a look. "What did I say about being an inconsiderate dickwad?"

"Hey," Axel growled and took his arm from around Demyx. "I'm not the one bringing outsiders into _our_ plan like a dumbass."

"She doesn't even know Zexion! And besides…"

Roxas sat back and smirked. Both Axel and Riku had been serious douchebags to he and Sora and the blond had no problem causing drama between the two of them. Unfortunately, Sora wasn't there to see the madness take place, but he would tell his brother everything later. Retribution was so satisfying.

"Are they always like this?" Kairi asked unsurely.

"Well, Riku is stuck in the longest walk-out closet ever so he's always pretty high-strung," Roxas said smoothly.

She looked surprised and dropped her voice low to ask, "Riku's _gay_?"

Roxas gave her a look, "Sweetheart, have you _looked _at him?"

Kairi turned her attention to Riku who was bickering with Axel. Demyx was standing off to the side and trying to get away from the confrontation. She frowned as she eyed the silver haired boy and then she shrugged a little. Well, maybe she could see it. The silky smooth hair, the radiant, pale complexion, and the obvious fashion choices he was making. She leaned back into the couch, close to Roxas, and shrugged.

"Maybe he's metrosexual."

Roxas laughed. "Sorry. I'm not trying to burst your bubble about him or anything. I just don't want you duped by some closeted gay guy looking for a beard."

Kairi smiled slightly. "Thanks, I think?"

The blond smiled back. "It's no big deal. Just… don't tell him I told you, okay? He's really sensitive about it."

She nodded her head eagerly and silence fell between the two of them. And then from nowhere, Kairi turned to him and said, "So, you're cute. And I think I have a friend that might like you."

Fuck.

"Hey!" Axel growled. He had been watching them from his peripheral vision and he had seen the sudden change in Kairi's features. She had gone from ogling Riku to ogling Roxas (_his_ Roxas, for that matter) and it annoyed him. While he found Roxas' attempt to make him jealous to be cute (and childish), he didn't like being toyed with.

And Roxas knew that. Roxas knew Axel was the kind of person who _needed_ affirmation that he was loved. Axel wasn't needy, per se, but he sort of demanded the blond tell him how much he adored and cared for him multiple times a day. When they fought it never came as a surprise to Roxas when Axel would send him a text or call him up asking, "Do you still love me?"

Roxas had only just started realizing that that wasn't _cute_. It was obnoxious.

"Um…" Demyx, who was unsuccessfully trying to make himself smaller, cleared his throat gracelessly. "Can we get back to Zexion, maybe?" he asked gently. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I'm supposed to be policing him and –"

"Right, okay, look," Axel began. He was being a lot more intense than he meant to be. He was feeling self-conscious now because of Roxas' antics. Hardly did he falter when it came to poise, but sitting there while his boyfriend purposefully tried to rile him made him angry. Especially when it came to his dyslexia. Axel had _never_ thought he was very smart and Roxas, busily pointing out his inadequacies, only confirmed his notion.

"Etiquette," Axel began, "You need –"

"Spell it."

The sudden explosion of heat in Axel's face caused Roxas to smirk widely.

"I… I don't have to spell…"

"Don't have to or can't?" the blond chided.

"E-t-i-q-u-e-t-t-e, can we PLEASE move on?" Demyx whined.

Riku passed the musician an up-and-down look. "Well goddamn. Look at you spelling big words like that."

"Well goddamn. Look at you being a condescending asshole," he responded curtly.

Riku ignored him and then waved his hand in front of Axel's frozen face. "Bro?"

The redhead snapped out of his daze and tried to compose himself. "Right, um… Etiquette." He glanced at Roxas slightly and saw him laughing with Kairi. The hair on the back of his neck stood and he cleared his throat. "You need to teach Zexion the rules of etiquette. Teach him how to be a gentleman."

"A gentleman," Demyx repeated. "Jesus. Why don't you just ask for world peace?"

"Can't be any harder than teaching Axel to read and write," Roxas mumbled.

The redhead had had it. He rounded on Roxas and glared hotly at him. "Dude, fuck off!"

The blond looked shocked, but quickly regained himself. He stood up from the couch and looked at his boyfriend coldly. "What's wrong? Can't take a bit of good natured ribbing?"

"There's nothing good natured about making fun of my dyslexia!"

"Oh, but Sora can have a go at me while you stand by and do nothingand _that's_ good natured?"

Axel 's brow furrowed and he opened his mouth and then closed it. No, he _supposed _it wasn't, but he hadn't meant to be mean. Roxas was _trying_ to work his nerves. What Axel had done had been more or less a mistake. He never meant to intentionally hurt the blond. These two scenarios were completely different.

"Can't you guys have your lover's quarrel later?" Demyx sighed. "I'm not trying to –"

"We _aren't _lovers," Axel snapped. "I don't even think we're really friends."

Roxas rolled his eyes and flopped back down on the couch. "Could you be any more of a girl?"

Kairi looked mildly offended and took this as her moment to stand up. "Well, it's been…" She paused. "Strange, actually. So I'm gonna go home and –"

"Whoa, whoa!" Riku scrambled over to her and forced her to sit back down. "No need to leave just yet, Kai."

She looked troubled, but didn't argue.

"You should leave," Axel grumbled unhappily.

"You're right. I should –" Kairi stood up only to, once again, be forced back down.

"He's talking to Roxas," Riku explained though it was hardly needed. She wasn't, by any means, thick. She just wanted to leave.

"You're kicking me out?" the blond snorted. He stood up and crossed his arms. "Whatever, man."

"Fine." Axel crossed his arms. "Then… please… leave my property." He turned his back slightly to Roxas and stuck his nose up in the air, a clear indication that he was now ignoring the blond.

He gave the redhead a look, rolled his eyes, and mumbled, "Whatever, this is gay anyway," and walked out of the pool house. He shut the door roughly on his way out and proudly gave all four of them the finger as he circled the pool house and walked out of the backyard. He _definitely _didn't need any more of this bullshit.

"What a charming young man," Riku stated sardonically. "Now, Demyx, here's what –"

"He was crossing the line, right?" Axel asked abruptly.

Demyx whined and stomped his feet and then threw himself down on the couch near Kairi. It was hopeless. He wanted to get back to Zexion's house. He wanted to know what Riku and Axel wanted him to do. He wanted to leave mostly because he hated confrontation and drama and even though he had absolutely nothing to do with Axel and Roxas' fight, he still felt extremely uncomfortable. How he was surviving around Zexion, possibly the most confrontational person on the planet, he really didn't know.

"Dude, Roxas was _way_ over the line. Fuck him." Riku shrugged.

Kairi shifted uncomfortably and clutched her handbag. "Um… this is the weirdest date I've ever been on."

Axel lifted his head and his brows came together. "… You're on a _date_ right now?" He gave Riku a look that said something like, "What the fuck is wrong with you?" and the silver haired boy shrugged a little helplessly.

"Well, what? She's having a good time!"

Kairi made a face. "Well… It's certainly memorable?" she tried.

"See? Memorable!" Riku nodded.

"Dude…" Axel sighed and shook his head. "Take that girl out. Dem and I will work on the plan and I'll fill you in when you get back."

Kairi stood from the couch, a smile gracing her features and put her hand out for Riku to take. He did so, though a bit hesitantly, and then mumbled something about being back later.

It wasn't that he didn't _want _to take Kairi out. She just didn't seem like his type of girl. She was lovely enough and she seemed sweet, but there was just something tragically one-dimensional about her. Maybe it was an unfair assessment because he had known her less than a day, but Riku's first judgments were generally spot-on.

And maybe he was sort of leaving with her because Sora hadn't shown up. And maybe he had only sort of brought Kairi along for the ride because he wanted to see Sora. Riku had some interest in Kairi, but his interest in her had nothing to do with why he had brought her back to the pool house.

"So… The plan," Demyx began. He sat up on the couch and patted the seat next to him. Axel came and sat down, distraction written all over his face. The fight had bothered him and Demyx, ever caring and ever sweet, placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "All couples fight."

Axel looked away. "He's not my –"

"You don't have to lie to me. I'm not going to tell anyone."

Normally, Axel would've _pressed_ that he and Roxas _were not_ dating, but he was feeling vulnerable and he didn't have anyone, aside from Roxas, to confide in. Though his first choice would _not _have been Demyx, he liked that he could be honest with someone about his secret relationship.

"Um, the plan…" Axel mumbled. "You need to teach Zexion etiquette. And be hard on him, okay?"

Demyx smiled slightly. "I don't really have to be. He's pretty down on himself already."

Axel barked out a laugh. "Yea, right. That guy is –"

"Lonely," the blond interrupted. "He's alone."

The redhead smirked and shook his head. "Don't let him fool you, Dem. And even if he _is_ lonely like you say, he's _alone_ for a reason. He could easily be pleasant and he chooses, instead, to alienate himself by being a total prick. I don't know how you're putting up with it."

Demyx shrugged and didn't verbally respond. He was putting up with it because he didn't need fancy book learning to see Zexion was pained by how alone he was. He didn't need college or a degree or a licensed therapist to tell him that Zexion acted the way he did because he was cynical and he believed that if he didn't bite first then he would be bitten.

What Zexion failed to recognize was not _everyone_ wanted to bite.

••••••••••••••

"**Morning, Zexion!"**

He jumped and then turned, glaring at Demyx and muttering something, presumably negative, under his breath. He reached up into his cabinet for a glass, inspected it, and then grabbed a different one. He had _thoroughly _enjoyed the day and a half Demyx had been away. Zexion could have given a shit about what the dim-witted blond had been doing because whatever it was, it didn't have anything to do with him.

Or he liked to assume that, anyway.

"Been a good boy?" Demyx asked. He hopped up onto the counter and smiled brightly at the short boy. It was early morning and judging by the mess that was his hair, Zexion had just rolled out of bed.

He grunted something that sounded suspiciously like, "Shouldn't you know?" and opened his fridge, grabbing out the orange juice and filling his glass _exactly _half-way before putting the juice away again. He downed the glass quickly because he didn't really like orange juice (or anything that could be even slightly defined as 'sweet'), but he drank it anyway because it was good for him.

"What do you know about etiquette?" Demyx swung his legs and watched as Zexion placed his glass in the sink.

"I'd wager to say I know more about etiquette than you."

The blond raised his brows and rolled this over in his head. "Okay. I'll rephrase then. How much etiquette do you _practice_?"

This was a different question all together and Zexion's brow furrowed. It crossed his mind to lie, but he decided against it. It wasn't that Demyx was getting to him, per se, but he had done a good bit of thinking over the last day and a half and had decided that it couldn't hurt to be a better person. It also couldn't hurt to keep himself alive, but maybe change wasn't a complete and total waste of time. In all honesty, Zexion had never seen change as an option and that was mainly because he felt he _couldn't_ change. But he'd keep that to himself.

"I suppose none or… very little." He shrugged his shoulders and glanced briefly at Demyx. "But females demand equal treatment so I believe by _not _participating in acts of chivalry I'm actually helping the progression of women."

Demyx smiled in an amused sort of manner. "Oh. Is that so?" he teased.

Zexion, whose expression was generally neutral or anger, tried to keep the tiniest of smiles from crossing his lips. "Maybe." He looked down at the floor and then said something like, "Okay, no. I don't much care about equal treatment for anyone."

Demyx slipped from the counter and bent down, trying to look at Zexion's face and Zexion purposefully looked away. "Is that a _smile_?"

"No," he responded curtly.

The blond winked. "Sure. All right. What _do_ you care about?"

Zexion thought this over and silence engulfed the room. Demyx leaned against the countertop, the notebook shifting slightly as he pressed his weight on it, and he watched the shorter boy curiously as he tried to think of something.

"Books. Science. Logic."

Demyx shook his head. "No, I don't mean interests. I mean like… movements. Like do you care about the treatment of animals? Gay rights? Equality for all people?"

He wasn't the least bit surprised when Zexion mumbled, "No."

"Right!" He clapped the short boy on the shoulder. "So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to teach you etiquette. Baby steps, you know? And then we're going to find something you care about!"

Zexion tried to keep his disgust to a minimum. "Why?"

Demyx gave the other a sideways look. "Well, because… Volunteer work –"

"No." The finality in his voice kept the blond from saying more. "I don't _do_ volunteer work. I don't _have _to do volunteer work. Volunteer work is for high school students in need of _something_ for their college applications and for peace-disturbing criminals like Xigbar."

The taller boy stared for a moment and then he breathed a little sigh. "Think about it like this, then. You're volunteering because if you don't learn to be selfless and kind, you're going to die. Dying is bad, remember? It's like a life sentence in prison except there isn't visiting hours or shower-stall rape."

Zexion's jaw was set and he looked Demyx up and down. "I _am _selfless."

The blond crossed his arms, amusement crossing his features. "Okay, fine. If you can prove to me you're selfless, I won't force you to do volunteer work."

"Fine."

"But," Demyx said, "either way, you need to practice etiquette because you're _never_ going to have any sort of fulfilled or happy relationship without learning to be polite."

He opened his mouth to argue that he _was_ polite, but then he decided against it. What use was it arguing with someone who seemed to already know so much about him? And Zexion knew that Demyx knew he was going to fail this task of proving his selflessness. Because Zexion wasn't selfless. He didn't know how to be.

Selflessness was like drawing or cooking or playing an instrument. Some people had natural talent and had an easier time learning these kinds of things. And some people were crippled from the very beginning, lacking some necessary details in their brain that would help them achieve this goal to its fullest extent.

As much as it pained him to admit it, he was nothing but a student and Demyx was his dim-witted, occasionally insightful, teacher.

••••••••••••••

"**Why are we **at a café?" Zexion slouched in his chair, his hands crammed in his pockets, and stared moodily at the other. It was rainy and chilly and after he had gotten out of class for the day, Demyx had insisted they immediately begin his transformation. Or something like that.

"Because! It's the perfect place to learn about pleases and thank you's!" Unlike Zexion, Demyx looked ten times more approachable. He wasn't slouched, his hands were on the table top, and he had a look of total happiness. Zexion looked… Maybe murderous was too strong a word, but it was fitting.

A girl walked over to their table, a pad of paper and pencil in her hands, and smiled brightly at them. "Hi there. How are you two today? What can I get you boys to drink?"

Demyx scanned the menu briefly. "Please may I have a hot chocolate?"

"Sure," she responded brightly as she wrote down his order. "And for you?" She turned to Zexion and tried her best to not look too offended when he pointed at the item he wanted, not a word leaving his mouth.

Demyx kicked him under the table and he jumped, swearing under his breath, and glaring at the blond who was smiling as if nothing had happened.

"Fine, Jesus…" he growled. "I want a black coffee. _One_ sugar. Do you understand? One. I'll know if there's more than one. I – Agh!" He hissed in pain as Demyx kicked him a second time. "I'm putting my order in," he said through gritted teeth. "And what's this hitting business? That's not what a conscious does!"

"I don't have the _faintest_ idea as to what you're talking about," Demyx replied smoothly as he leaned back in his chair.

"Do… Do you need another moment?" the girl asked carefully.

Zexion, feeling quite agitated with Demyx, lashed out at their waitress. "Are you deaf? I ordered a black coffee with one sugar. Good Lord, do you really need to write it down? It's _one_ simple ord –" He stopped short because the look on Demyx's face told him he was about to be kicked again. He cleared his throat awkwardly, looked at the hurt, embarrassed look on the girl's face and grumbled, "May I _please_ have a black coffee and, if you could so kindly remember, I would like only one sugar in it."

She was confused, but took his order anyway before walking away. What a _strange_ group of men.

"Well my, my! It's like shock-therapy, huh? A few kicks in the shin bone and you're almost a gentleman."

Zexion glared. "And please explain to me why it's so pressing I'm nice to _strangers_? The probability of me and that girl running in to each other – and _remembering _each other – is so low that it shouldn't _matter _how I act. In fact –"

"You're all about the numbers, huh?" Demyx asked curiously.

Zexion made a face. "I, well…" He paused and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Everything about life is based in numbers. The divine ratio, the… the start of the universe, the probability of –"

The blond waved his hand dismissively. "Everything in _your _life is number based because you make it that way. But how can you ever accurately calculate things like… like the probability you'll fall in love? Or the probability that it'll all work out? The probability of your conscious coming to life to help you remove your bad ways is a really teeny-tiny number, right? And yet here we are."

Zexion stared at Demyx and watched him carefully. Had he not made it clear that he didn't believe the blond was his conscious? Had he not made it clear that he was only playing along because he didn't want to die? He was doing this for a _selfish_ reason. He was playing along because he was _selfish_ and wanted to keep living. The idea that he could change was his scientific mind at work – there was a fifty percent chance he could be different and a fifty percent chance he wouldn't be different. His playing along was all a selfish, scientific endeavor.

The waitress came back with their drink items and set them down, repeating what they ordered as she passed the drinks to each person. "One sugar," she said with a smile as she set the black coffee in front of Zexion. "I put it in myself."

Demyx smiled at her and his eyes shifted to Zexion as he took a hesitant ship from his coffee. And, sure enough, only one sugar had been put in it. She competent enough so he swallowed and mumbled, "Thank you."

And Demyx practically swooned.

••••••••••••••

**The next day **was the same as before. Zexion woke up, was briefly hassled by Demyx, went to class, left class, and when he ambled through the door of his apartment, the blond was sitting on the balcony. The day was cloudy and cold, like yesterday, and Zexion would never understand what Demyx saw in that kind of weather.

"How was class?" Demyx asked when he heard the short boy open the door to the balcony and come outside.

"Decent," he replied. "How was lying around my house?"

"Decent," he teased.

Silent passed between them and Demyx leaned against the railing, a sigh leaving through his nose. "Did you know that part of being happy is giving up control?"

Zexion's brow furrowed and he looked at the blond suspiciously. "I never said I wasn't happy."

He laughed and Zexion noted it was melodious in sound. "I never said you weren't happy either."

A blush crossed his cheeks and he looked away. He was no good when it came to people. He felt like he was consistently calling himself out. He supposed it was just because he was selfish, but he often felt a lot of people were talking about him in a way he didn't much like. He _knew_ some people did talk about him (he heard his name whispered in the library sometimes by kids he had recently scorned) and it bothered him. It had always bothered him.

"What do you mean?" Zexion asked. "What do you mean by 'giving up control?'"

"Well, happiness is internal, right? You have a say in whether or not you're happy. But there's all this external bullshit around you that kind of makes it _hard_ to have your say in whether or not you want to be happy. Like… This weather, for example. It's kind of a shitty day, you know? There's no sun, the world is kind of silent, and it's cold, and maybe this kind of weather is hurting your say in the happiness department. So you let it all go, you know? You surrender control to the universe. You say, 'I don't care what kind of day it is and I don't care who says what and I don't care about what anyone else thinks because I'm me.' And when you give up trying to control all the external shit, you suddenly realize how happy you are. It's like a weight off your shoulders."

Zexion looked down at the ground below and he let the blonde's words sink in. "But… What do you do when everyone is saying something negative about you and you know they're right?"

Demyx shrugged his shoulders. "Then you change."

"And if that isn't an option?" he asked curiously.

"It's always an option."

Zexion wasn't sure how to feel about this.

••••••••••••••

"**Where are we **going?" he asked, the agitation in his voice clear. It was the next day, early evening, and Zexion, after a long day of class and work, wanted to go home. But Demyx had decided that, because it wasn't cloudy and the day was relatively nice, they should practice some etiquette.

"The bus," the blond responded cheerily.

Zexion stopped following the other briefly, but then quickly caught up to him. "Are you insane? The bus is going to be packed with people at this time."

"Correct you are!"

His brow furrowed and he glared daggers into the back of the blonde's head. "Are we _going_ somewhere?"

"Nope!"

His eyes narrowed and he wanted so badly to reach out and give the other a smack. "So we're just getting on the bus."

"Yep!"

"For no reason."

"Mhm!"

"…We're getting on the bus for no reason."

Demyx stopped and turned suddenly to face the shorter boy and Zexion walked in to him. Embarrassed, he immediately stepped back and tried to control the pink running up his neck. "And now what do you say?" the blond asked with his eyebrows raised.

The pink color worsened and Zexion glared. "Move?"

"Aww…" He removed the notebook from the waistband of his jeans and made a mark in it much to Zexion's dismay. "So close. Wanna try again?"

"… _Excuse me,_" he said through gritted teeth.

Demyx was about to close the notebook when Zexion tacked on, "Dumbass."

"It isn't polite if you add an insult at the end. We've been over this," he said with a sigh as he placed another mark in the notebook.

"Well…" He paused. "Why are we riding the bus to nowhere?"

Demyx shrugged and continued walking, Zexion following closely behind him again. They arrived at the stop (which was ridiculously crowded) and the bookworm grumbled disparagingly under his breath. He never rode the bus when it was crowded. He _hated_ places that were crowded. He hated crowds in general. And he hated people.

Well, most people.

Or… Or maybe they just hated him.

"Where would you like to go?" Demyx asked as the bus pulled up.

"Home."

"We're in another city," the blond started, but stopped when he saw the perplexed look on Zexion's features. "_Pretend_ we're in another city," he rephrased. "Where would you like to go?"

They folded in to the crowd of people and got on the bus, depositing their bus fare at the front. Zexion went for his usual seat at the front, but Demyx grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "It's impolite to make women or the elderly stand."

He felt his blood boil as he saw two elderly women take _his_ seat. He wanted to complain. He wanted to bitch and moan about this. They were on the bus, going nowhere, so Demyx could teach him some kind of stupid lesson that would, somehow, factor in to his later decision-making. He crossed his arms childishly and tapped his foot. Demyx, also standing, reached up and grabbed on to one of the metal poles, gripping it tightly with his long fingers.

"So, we're in another city. Where would you like to go?"

Zexion grabbed one of the poles too when the bus lurched. "The bus stop that would take me back to _my_ city."

Demyx's lips curved in to a smile and he shook his head. "Okay, we're in a different city and your city is destroyed. You can't go back. And to get over the trauma of your whole city being destroyed, you decide you'd like to go somewhere that would cheer you up. _Now_ where would you like to go?"

Zexion frowned, looked for a hole in Demyx's story, and then sighed softly. He glanced out the window, at the passing people and buildings and tried to think of somewhere he'd want to go. "Church," he decided finally. "I'd… go to a church."

Demyx was surprised by this answer, but Zexion, lost in thought, didn't appear to notice. "A church, huh? What kind of church? And why?"

He placed a hand in his pocket and glanced up at the blond. "A Catholic church. And… Maybe it seems somewhat daft to say, but… But a church is the only place where you can be alone without being alone."

Demyx thought this over. He hesitated before asking his next question, but only because he didn't want to shut Zexion down. The unhappy librarian was opening up to him whether he realized it or not and he didn't want to make the other feel silly for suggesting a church. "But what about a library? Or a restaurant? Or a store? You can be alone without being alone at those places…"

Zexion shook his head. "It isn't the same, Conscious. A church is different because if you need to talk, there is the option to. You can pour your heart out to a stranger and you'll know he'll keep your secrets safe. You'll know he isn't judging you. You'll know that there is no rejection there. They _have_ to listen to you. And it isn't a matter of faith," he added quickly. "A priest isn't going to ask you if you believe in God if you need to talk to him. He's just going to listen."

Demyx was silent and he looked at Zexion's small body. He had never considered a church to be the place to go after some sort of disaster. Demyx had always had the warmth of his father, the loving embrace of his family, and the acceptance of his friends. He supposedhe had never been so virtually alone that he had had to actively seek out individuals who didn't have a choice in whether or not they wanted to listen to his woes.

"Is it…" Demyx hesitated. "Is it a matter of loneliness or fear of rejection that makes you choose a church over, say, Vexen?"

His body stiffened considerably at the name, but he relaxed quickly and then shrugged. "Both," he replied honestly.

"What about your family?"

Zexion didn't say anything and the bus came to a halt. The two elderly women that had taken the slate haired boy's seat stood and smiled politely at him and Demyx.

"Thank you for standing," one of the women said. "You should take our seat."

Demyx smiled at her and thanked her and Zexion, the talk with his conscious having softened his annoyance considerably, offered a meek 'thank you' too.

As they sat, with Zexion at the window, Demyx stretched his arms and smiled. "This, my dear companion, is what they call karma."

Zexion hadn't known karma could be a good thing.

••••••••••••••

"**My life is **over."

Roxas rolled his eyes and examined himself in their full length mirror. His hair was doing this weird cow-lick thing in the back and he was trying to tame it before he left their apartment for class. "Grow up. Your life isn't over."

Sora was lying on his brother's bed, his face buried in his pillow, whining about Riku and his new girlfriend, Kairi. Though he had toyed with the possibility that Riku could very well be straight and just be one of those unlucky fellows who happened to radiate _gay_ regardless of his orientation, it didn't make him feel any better to know he was now dating someone else. The silver lining in this, of course, was that at least it was a _girl_ and not a boy. Meaning it wasn't Sora that Riku didn't like. It was the equipment he was sporting.

"It's over," Sora mourned. "He's with someone else. How are we supposed to be together when he's with someone else?"

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Why are you distressed? I told Kairi he was a closeted homosexual. I told her she'd end up being his beard. She's probably just using him."

Sora's head jerked up and he was torn between annoyance and gratefulness. "Why would you do that?" he asked evenly. "Why would you tell her that?"

He looked at the brunet's reflection in the mirror and shrugged. "Because it's _true_ and besides, the way he treated –"

"I know how he treated me," Sora interrupted. He stood up from the bed and gave his twin a look. "But that doesn't mean I want you to go around ruining things for him."

Roxas tried to mask his surprise. "You're _mad _because I tried to help you?"

"No. I'm mad because I didn't ask for your help. And I'm mad because I care about Riku. I don't want him to be used by anyone. I don't want him to get hurt. I don't want him walking around with some girl thinking he's _finally_ got someone who doesn't think he's gay and then she turns around and… and tells him otherwise."

The blond turned away from the mirror, giving up on his stupid hair, and focusing his attention on Sora. "Dude, he's probably using _her_."

"Riku doesn't have to be gay!" Sora said much more loudly than he meant. "I'm head over heels for Riku, but if he's not gay, then he's not gay! And… And trying to ruin what he could have with someone else because he can be an asshole sometimes isn't –"

"Right." Roxas rolled his eyes. "Right, Sora."

The brunet shifted. He wasn't comfortable with his brother's tone and after a good bit of silence had passed between them, he pouted and mumbled, "What are you trying to say?"

"You're chastising me about taking a small bit of revenge on Riku because he treated you like shit. But then you go and help him and Axel create up this _whole plan_ to get back at Zexion. What are _you_ trying to say? Zexion is a total stranger to you and you've mastermind this plan to royally fuck with his life because… Why? Because _Riku_ doesn't like him?"

Sora blushed and began to stumble over his words. He wasn't sure how to respond to his brother's attack because he wasn't even sure he could logically explain why he was doing what he was doing. He had created the plan because he wanted to impress Riku. He had started this whole thing because he had hoped that maybe Riku would… Madly fall in love with him or something stupid like that. He crossed his arms and looked at the floor, suddenly realizing how stupid his whole thought process was and how selfish he had been. Wrecking havoc on some stranger's life in a daft hope that Riku would suddenly be his boyfriend?

He blushed harder and said nothing.

"I get it," Roxas said softly. "You do stupid shit when you love someone. I did what I did to Riku because he shouldn't treat you like that. And if you were someone else – like Kairi – then I wouldn't have done anything."

He shrugged. "I know," he mumbled. The brunet didn't really have it in him to say anything else. He felt dumb. He didn't know Zexion. He didn't know anything about him. And yet he had agreed to play with this guy's life in his own selfish attempt to win some kind of favor with Riku.

"I have to go to class. I'll see you later," Roxas muttered. He grabbed his backpack from the floor and slung it over his shoulder before walking out of his room.

And Sora flopped back down on his brother's bed and whined about his life _still_ being over.

••••••••••••••

**Three days passed **rather uneventfully. Zexion, who had been loaded down with schoolwork, had been shut up in his room. And Demyx, bored out of his skull, had taken to wandering over to Xigbar's apartment and hanging out with the older man whenever he was around. It wasn't that Demyx _liked_ him exactly, but he didn't exactly dislike anyone either.

He was pretty neutral towards most people. He never really leaned one way or the other. But if you asked him if he liked someone, he'd probably say yes just to avoid the possible confrontation that could come about if he said no.

"So, Conscious, how's the Ice Queen?"

Demyx shrugged and spun in one of Xigbar's barstools. "Learning."

"As if!" he laughed. "Sure it isn't just a show?"

The blond continued to spin, his hands grabbing onto the counter to give him extra momentum with each pass. "I guess maybe it could be. But I like to think he's growing. And I like to think every day I annoy him a little less."

Xigbar laughed again and caught his hand underneath the barstool, causing Demyx to suddenly stop spinning. "How long have you been hanging around him?"

Demyx, now dizzy, stood up and stumbled slightly. He caught himself by putting a hand on the bar countertop. "Um… I don't know. I think only a week. It's actually been a pretty eventful week."

He raised his brows and tried to catch Demyx's eyes. "So why are you _really_ stalking him?"

The blond gave the older man a look. "Can you keep a secret?"

Xigbar debated this for a second and then shrugged. Demyx opened his mouth as if to say something but then he paused and waved Xigbar closer. The scarred man leaned in and ignored the pleasant feeling that erupted in his stomach when he felt Demyx's lips brush casually against his ear.

"I'm totally in love with him and have been for years."

Xigbar pulled away, sighed, and the smallest of smiles lined his lips. "Mhm, sure…" He stalked across his apartment, towards the door, and Demyx's brow furrowed. He immediately began to follow the other and was a little perturbed when Xigbar simply ignored his consistent questioning of, "Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going? Xig? Xig! What are you doing?"

Xigbar casually walked to Zexion's door, grasped the knob, and grinned when all the color drained out of Demyx's face.

"What are you doing?" the blond asked again as Xigbar let himself in to Zexion's unlocked apartment. Demyx's heart began to beat rapidly in his chest and he grabbed the older man's arm. "I was kidding!" he hissed quietly.

"Oh, Ice Britches!" Xigbar called. "Conscious told me something mighty interesting!"

Demyx's eyes went wide. "Dude, I was _joking_!"

Zexion, incredibly bothered that Xigbar was in his apartment, wandered out of his room. The look on his face caused the hair on the back of Demyx's neck to stand and Xigbar just broke into a rather playful smile.

"Can I help you?" the bookworm asked coldly.

Demyx shook his head. "No! Not at all, Zex! Xigbar here just… You know, hitting the bottle and what –"

"Conscious here says he loves you."

Zexion's cheeks heated to an embarrassing shade of red and he gave Demyx a _disgusted_ look. "What is wrong with you?"

"I – no! I was… I was kidding!" Horror and humiliation crossed Demyx's features and Xigbar's grin only grew wider.

"No, no! He said he was stalking you because he's loved you for quite some time."

Demyx clasped his hand over Xigbar's mouth and passed Zexion, who still looked incredibly disgusted, a panicked look. "It was a joke! I was _joking_! Oh my God…"

Xigbar was laughing behind the blonde's hand, thoroughly enjoying his little joke. Demyx, on the other hand, looked absolutely pained by all of this.

"As much as I love to waste my time on foolish debauchery such as this, I must get back to my school work. And I'm sure you and Xigbar have to get to…" He paused. "Well, whatever it is failures and drop-outs do in their infinite spare time."

Demyx blushed hard and watched as Zexion walked back into his bedroom. He didn't storm off and he didn't slam the door and though the blond knew his short friend was surely angry, he couldn't help but feel that his lack of a tantrum was a sign of progress.

"That was great," Xigbar commented once he had gotten Demyx's hand away from his mouth.

"Please leave," the blond said politely. He backed away from the older man and looked down at the floor.

Xigbar looked the other up and down, rolled his eyes, and happily left Zexion's apartment. He was rather good at causing chaos. And maybe it was a bit juvenile, but there had been a small hint of jealousy in his chest when Demyx remarked that he was in love with Zexion.

Who in the _world_ could love someone like that?

••••••••••••••

_**What if he's **__a stalker who's in love with me?_

Vexen read the text message from Zexion and allowed this to sink in. Hardly did he text (he preferred phone calls), but he made an exception for his younger companion because he knew how awkward it could get whenever Zexion made phone calls or was forced to talk on the phone.

_Don't be stupid. Why wouldn't he just stalk you from afar?_

Zexion frowned. _Maybe he's trying to change me in to the kind of man he'd want me to be._

Vexen refused to believe this. He also refused to be threatened by such a ridiculous notion. _Zexion, listen to yourself. If he really did love you, why would he want to change you?_

He didn't respond. He had forgotten that, in Vexen's mind, love wasn't love if change was involved. If Demyx truly _did_ love Zexion, he wouldn't want him to change. Because if Zexion changed, then he'd no longer be Zexion. He'd be someone else with _aspects _of Zexion.

He set his phone down and tried to focus on his mountain of homework. He was slightly troubled that Demyx hadn't bothered to come and talk to him or try and tell him what he already knew (which was that Xigbar was an idiot who took things too far). He was bothered that Vexen thought it was stupid to think someone could love him.

And he was bothered by the notion that, up until this point, he had never thought that changing himself meant he'd be shedding some old identity. He'd no longer be himself. He'd be someone new and he'd be someone different and Zexion didn't like change.

Mostly because he believed change, for some people, was an impossible feat.

Zexion closed one of his textbooks and lied back on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, reminded himself it had only been about a week since Demyx showed up, and tried to ignore the sadness in his chest when he told himself that this had nothing to do with love. Demyx did not love him (he probably didn't even like him) and Zexion most certainly did _not_ love Demyx.

But… He wasn't exactly against the idea of being loved again.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, this is really late. And un-beta-ed because my fabulous beta, **Aindel S. Druida**, is off at Disney Land (which is a far better way to spend your time, if you ask me).

But here it is. The pace of this story is incredibly slow, but it's going to pick up soon. I said only a week has gone by, but it's probably more like a week and a half, but I don't think anyone is really counting how much time has passed.

But, anyway – I hope you guys enjoyed it. At this point, you all know the deal. I'm going to say an update will be out soon, but then it'll be later because I'll be raped up the asshole by the universe or be really selfish and put it off. You know the drill.

Thanks for alerting, favoriting, reviewing, and scrutinizing. The readers make the story so, you know, I really appreciate all the time you guys spend on this.

**Thank you for reviewing:**

**Thetinynocturne: **You know what? I actually get that a lot. People always are like "I thought it would be generic and not deep" and then they're like, "BUT IT WAS WRONG." I think it's my summaries. They don't exactly scream "deep story" but that's all right. They pull people in.  
I actually think I'm kind of funny. Most people really don't (not in real life anyway) but sometimes I reread something I wrote and I'm like, "ahah… that's kind of funny." I'm glad I could make you laugh. I'm better at making people cry, but… I'd rather make them laugh.  
Thanks. I try and keep each character believable, but I did slap up an OOC warning for Zexion for this story. I know he's normally depicted as quiet, collected, and docile, but I just… don't see it. I see a snarky genius who's too smart to realize that other people have feelings too.

**CrazyPretz: **I guess I didn't so much lose my job as I quit. Except I didn't quit, I just stopped showing up. So I guess maybe I was sort of fired too. But that's all right. Making minimum wage doing that much work was bullshit.

**Sana-chan9: **Yep! I'm back after a slight sojourn! And thanks – everything is fine. The job sucked. The guy kind of sucked. Things are looking up.  
I actually really like the interaction between Demyx and Zexion too. Zexion definitely treats Demyx differently from other people, but only because Zexion has never had a reason to be _afraid _of other people. Also, Vexen was created for plot reasons. He is really creepy and I think he can only get creepier. Though he does have Zexion's best interest in mind. I wanted readers to understand that and not just be like, "EW GROSS NASTY OLD GUY PREYING ON YOUNG GUY." He'll cause some trouble for Demyx though (maybe give Demyx's conscience a little trouble).  
I love how I'm the JK Rowling of the KH world except not because I don't write about wizards or magic. We can pretend on the whole "girl" thing, but I dunno if we could convince people _Axel's Fables _is actually about one man's fight to rid the world of some dark wizard…  
Thanks for your lovely review.

**Key2myheart13: **It's okay! I forget to review stuff all the time and most of the time, I just… don't review. Ever. Because I'm lazy. I try to make everything as simple as possible. I do get confused about the timeline sometimes, though. I try to remember that things are moving slow so it's only been like… one day for Zexion and Demyx. But it feels like MONTHS and I want them to be open with each other already.

**IchiakiI: **I like how you and Sana-chan9 are the two reviewers I always look for whenever I update something.  
Hosting is awesome. Especially because Megumi loves to eat. We eat lots of awesome Japanese food and whenever her mom sends her a care package, she always includes candy for me (which I love). I also learned the Japanese word for poop (it's unko) and I use it liberally.  
Thanks. I'll be all right and I'll find someone new, I'm sure. And I'm glad you haven't forgotten about me! I know that when I disappear, people don't always keep up with me or what I'm doing because they think I won't update ever again!

: Was it IchiakiI that texted you? I looked up _Ink _on Netflix and now I'm inclined to watch it. Actually, I used to take drum lessons and my drum teacher told me that everything had a beat (and I know for drums that 4/4 time is the standard) so I yanked that for this story. And hooooraaaay! _Axel's Fables _got an update today! I had forgotten to e-mail it to my beta who immediately edited it (God bless her), but then I had to type out the review section (33 of those motherfuckers. It took me two hours to do that). I'm glad you and your friend text about my stories. It makes me smile.

**Gamer551: **I've never liked Vexen. He's so… old and gross. I'm glad you like my writing style. I'm actually not so fond of it whenever I attempt to write non-fanfiction stuff. I also noticed that my writer's block isn't a lack of ideas and it's more of I can't get my style right (which is serious balls).

**Iced Perfection: **Thanks. That does make me feel a shitload better about my inability to update in a timely manner. I think readers are more likely to give a little leeway because I generally do update within 2-4 weeks. But yea – this definitely makes me feel better about my inability to always update. Thanks!

**Sunriseonmymind: **That's actually one of the hardest parts about writing _GC_. I don't want the characters to be so similar to how they are in _AF_. I mean, there WILL be similarities, obviously, but only for the sake of attempting to keep them in-character, you know? But it's important I _don't_ make Sora the voice of reason and it's important I _don't_ make Roxas whiny or sad. And I think giving Axel something he actually is truly embarrassed adds another dimension to him. Good looks, money, a (usually) stable relationship, an awesome future, and good grades means Axel doesn't have a lot to apologize for. Adding that little bit of depth to him helps develop the story, I think.  
And, of course, having Axel/Riku treat Roxas/Sora the way they do, but then chiding Zexion about being such a compulsive dick is irony because they can be just as bad. This is all about perspective.  
I had to be careful with how I introduced Demyx and how I planned for Zexion to be semi-comfortable with the whole idea of the conscience. Zexion isn't at all gullible or stupid and I don't think, at any point in this story, will he _truly, fully_ believe Demyx is his actual conscience. He's just too smart for that, you know? I added Vexen in there specifically so everyone sees Zexion's dual nature. He isn't a dick to everyone – he's just incredibly picky about who is or isn't worthy of his niceness.  
And yea – that was super important to me, too. I felt that this plot had actually been done before numerous times (not exactly like this, but, for example, a demon following soandso around or ghosts following soandso around or whatever) and I didn't want to add then the cliché, "Oh, but Zexion is sad because his life was tragic." People aren't always scumbags because of the result of some terrible happening. Sometimes people are the way they are because they _want_ to be that way or they really _can't_ see any other way to be. And I think that's Zexion's problem – he doesn't see how he could really be any other way.  
Whoa. This got long fast. I rambled a bit there, but thanks for reviewing!

**The Moon's Berserk: **Vexen is pretty flippin' creepy, but he's perfect for plot purposes. And yea – Axel and Riku are dicks, but I've always kind of seen them that way. Like big softies on the inside, but trying to be all tough on the outside, you know? And Zexion's partially going along with this because he's lonely. He's not so naïve to believe Demyx is actually his conscience.

**Miggery: **Well goddamn – thanks, haha. I actually thought this plot, much like _Axel's Fables_, was way overdone. Which was why I tacked on the addendum: Oh, but it's actually all a prank because Zexion is a massive shithead and he's pissed off a ton of people. I'm glad it's been seen as original so far because I worried about how well this story would fare. And, really, thanks. I try to be creative and I put a LOT of effort into my writing because even though it's only going on ffnet, it's shitty to do a slack ass job and call it a day.

**PumpkinLenses: **Yea, I have that trouble with Riku/Sora and Axel/Roxas. What creeps me out is the Roxas/Sora pairing because it's like... how could you date someone who looks nearly identical to you? But I agree. Zexion and Vexen is an awful pairing, but I actually can see them together, but not for a long period of time. Because you're right – I think in the end they'd piss each other off.

**AnnLuc: **Thanks. I'm glad _AF _could cross-advertise for _GC_. And I'm also glad you decided to take a look and found this story was to your liking. Things are going to get a bit messy when Demyx falls in love with Zexion only because it would _seriously_ hurt the whole plan if Demyx started making out with Zexion (I've never made out with my conscience before). And yes! Drama is good. I added Kairi in there because she is such a versatile character. Because you see very little of her in the games, she's kind of one-dimensional and so her personality is easier to manipulate than, say, Sora's or Axel's (whose personalities are pretty set in stone so any deviation results in a problem of OOC-ness).  
Actually, those are my favorite parts too. I really like writing things about Zexion and giving the readers some insight about him. As far as what made him the way he is – I have no plans for some huge reveal in which he tells Demyx he was mistreated. I mean, don't get me wrong – Zexion does have a reason to act the way he does, but it isn't because of some trauma he suffered years ago. That just seems a little too cliché. I hope I don't disappoint.

**A Realm Above: **Haha, thanks! I try to be humorous, but I don't think it always works out. Sometimes I do laugh when I write something that I think is particularly clever (even if it took me forty minutes to think of it). In real life, I'm not so funny. Mainly just inappropriate.

**PiptheAlmighty: **Thanks! I tried to balance out the angst and humor in this story because someone said that _Axel's Fables_, which was supposed to be comedy/drama/romance, should have a genre change to 'angst.' I didn't want that to happen with _GC_ because I do want to keep it relatively light-hearted.

**Wolf Ness: **I'm not gonna lie. I wasn't really sure how this plot was going to pan out either. Zexion isn't naïve enough nor is he gullible enough to completely believe Demyx is his conscience. That's why I'm trying to make it abundantly clear that Zexion, while he's going along with things, he isn't completely sold on the whole idea.  
This was originally a story between Axel/Roxas, in which Sora and Riku were taking revenge on Roxas and hired Axel to prank him. However, I didn't see it as convincing because Axel would make a _terrible_ conscience. Demyx fit so perfectly in to this role because he _knows _people. He doesn't _know_ he knows people or that it's actually a talent that he can read Zexion like a book after only knowing him for, what, two or three days? But I think because Demyx doesn't know how smart he actually is makes him less likely to make mistakes. He kind of just… randomly lies and gets lucky and I think if he knew how good he was at lying and reading people, he'd get over-confident and fuck-up. And Zexion would notice something fishy was going on. If everything pans out as it should, Zexion's fear of drowning will come in to play when the story begins to close.  
Axel is confident and he treats Roxas the way he does for a subconscious reason. He doesn't mean to be a total dick to his boyfriend, but he's also looking at their relationship (and Roxas) like this: they're together, their relationship is a secret and Roxas has qualms but stays, so Axel assumes that the likelihood of Roxas leaving him is slim. Of course he has those moments where he wonders if Roxas still loves him, but deep down he knows he doesn't really need to ask because he knows the answer is yes.  
Vexen _is_ creepy. And I put them together because there is a better relationship if they're ex-boyfriends. They could have easily been best friends (or just friends), but the fact that they dated and fell apart means their history and their feelings _now_ will play in to the plot. Also, I don't think Vexen would be giving Zexion advice or trying to help him as much as he is if they hadn't, at one point, been together.  
Woooow, this is long. Sorry. I rambled again! Bu thank you so much for reviewing and I'm glad this story turned out to be better than you thought!

**Xxlostinmymangaxx: **I'm not a fan of the coupling either (in fact, I think it's pretty creepy), but you're definitely right – it does work well for plot purposes which was why I inserted it in there. I'm glad you like this story so much!

**: **Whoa! I've never met someone who doesn't like Axel/Roxas. I can see how you'd get bored of it though. I used to write fanfiction before the second game and it used to be mostly (if not all) Sora/Riku and I got pretty bored of it. I mean, I wrote a TON of one-shots around them, but in the last two years (or maybe less) I've taken to writing other couplings. And I don't really read Riku/Sora stories anymore (they have to be REALLY good and, frankly, a lot of them are tragically bad).  
You know how closeted gay guys are – they can be such bitches. And Demyx putting up with Zexion has a lot to do with how well he read him. If Demyx just saw what Axel and Riku saw, he probably would've beheaded him back in chapter two.  
Glad this story could make-up for having to take care of your sister.

**Luckless-is-me: **Flow is a big issue. I hate it when stories are really choppy and I know scene changes can make them _especially _choppy. But because there are multiple plots in this, I have to switch and I try and make sure everything (more or less) goes together.  
One of my favorite things about Zexion/Demyx is that Zexion _is_ all about booksmarts and Demyx isn't. Unfortunately, that means a LOT of people do this: Zexion reads books/be knowledgeable instead of hanging out with people so he must be sad/suicidal/cutter/etc. And Demyx doesn't read books/isn't knowledgeable when it comes to school so he must be a dumbass. Which is not true in the least bit. I like that Demyx is smart in his _own_ way (like being able to read people) and I like that Zexion is dumb in that aspect. Zexion likes to think he has a great wealth of knowledge over _all_ aspects of life, but he just doesn't. And Demyx completes him in this way.  
Axel and Riku are privileged and following the whole "spoiled rich kid" cliché, they _do_ believe they can get away with acting however they want. I also like that they're assholes (and sometimes know it), but then they chide Zexion for being an asshole himself.  
Um… I haven't really thought much on the whole situation with Zexion. Mainly because it _isn't _centered around any kind of traumatic event. Honestly, I really dislike being touched unless it's by my _very, very _closed friends or someone I'm dating. I suppose Zexion is probably the same way and Vexen, who does sort of keep his distance, probably could get away with touching Zexion because they _used _to be something. We'll see though.

**Fredrikness: **Stalk away! And you can tell me, just don't flame me. I'm actually surprised no one looks at my older stuff and tells me it's shit because some of it is (granted, a LOT of that stuff was written when I was 14-16). I only keep it on there because how I used to write is different from how I write now and I thinking showing my development isn't a terrible thing.

**Emilyy: **I play the drums! And I think there is a definite beat that goes along with life.

**JayFX: **A dead frog is a great way to get someone to kindly _shut the fuck up_. Nothing says "leave me alone" like slapping them in the face with a slippery, wet amphibian.

**Jehraldeen: **Thanks. I hate airhead-Demyx and it drives me up the wall when people write him that way. Don't get me wrong – I don't think that Demyx is booksmart nor do I think he's like… the next great scientist. But I do think Demyx knows some things very well (people, philosophical musings about life, music, and swimming). I just don't get an airhead vibe from him at all.

**x-Jaela-x: **Yaaaay! Advertisement! It always makes me so happy when I hear people are advertising to each other. Also, I despise an emo Zexion. I think a lot of people equate, "guy who reads lots of books" as, "guy who is alone and probably cuts himself" which is definitely not true. Some people do just prefer the company of books instead of others. And I like Demyx having a few things he's REALLY smart about because I don't see him as an airhead, but I also don't see him as brilliant. And I definitely don't see Demyx being smart when it comes to school.  
Axel is a lot of fun to write because he's one of the only characters that doesn't always take things too seriously (which sometimes creates problems for him). I like writing him because he uses humor to try and counter any tension or problems (which, again, sometimes just creates problems). I also like writing humor even though sometimes it isn't that funny and/or it'll take me an hour to think of one witty line.  
I'm glad you like this so far! I was worried that this story wouldn't do well because I was afraid it would be cliché, but I'm glad it's working out for the readers and for myself.

**Khalerx: **Yea, Riku is kind of a dick and so is Vexen and the same goes for Axel. And Riku and Axel kind of act that way because they feel entailed to sometimes. Like they come from a wealthy family and they have very little to be self-conscious about so they kind of just… say whatever. I think maybe it's less of a matter of dickishness and more a matter of not having a filter.  
And thanks! It makes me happy to know this story is so well-liked!

**Horrid-Hazuki: **I hope you mean that in a good way. Sometimes I think my stories are jeopardizing peoples' health. Mostly the health of their eyes, you know? This is a shit ton of words to read. And you've read _Axel's Fables_, too, so by the end of this, I'm sure I'll end up owing some money to your optometrist…


	6. Getting Somewhere

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **This chapter is a long one.

**Also, do you have a smart phone? Can you download Words with Friends? Then let's start a game and duke it out scrabble style. My username is: FreeKiwi.**

Oh, and just so you guys know, I now **post the progress for stories** **on my profile**. So if you take a gander under "Stories," you'll find the title of the story, the word count, and how much has to be done before it's posted. I'm trying to do this now so you guys know what's going on instead of being stuck in limbo.

Be sure to check!

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 5: **Getting Somewhere

**Zexion never mentioned **what happened with Xigbar, and Demyx was happy enough not to question why the other didn't talk about it. However, there was a certain bit of awkwardness between them that hadn't been there before and Demyx knew that _he_ was creating it. He couldn't really help it. The blond wanted to address the situation with Xigbar, maybe mention he was not in love with Zexion at all, and then breathe a sigh of relief so they could move on.

A part of him was afraid that bringing it up would be dangerous. It was clear Zexion _detested _Xigbar (and that was on a good day) and it was also relatively clear that Zexion wasn't especially fond of Demyx. The bookworm treated the taller man the way Russians treated change: he tolerated him.

Three weeks had gone by quickly and Zexion had been locked up in his bedroom most days or sometimes he would go to the library to work. Demyx wasn't sure if this was punishment for Xigbar's foolishness, but he didn't want to ask because he didn't want to bring the situation up. And while he knew he should've been following Zexion to work, to make sure he wasn't being a total tool to the kids who wanted to check out books, he found he just really couldn't stomach the thought of entering the library.

It was a college library and Demyx, who had ditched college in favor of a future of pool cleaning, found it only made him sad to hear or think about the place. It reminded him heavily of his father, a man who spent the majority of his life raising him alone and who Demyx hadn't even bothered to speak to since he left New York. But, then again, it wasn't like his father called and while the blond figured this was a _good_ thing, he couldn't help but get the feeling his father had given up.

Demyx had really disappointed him this time. And all the guilt of the situation was beginning to seep in. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he wasn't _really_ Zexion's conscience and that he, too, had a conscience of his own.

And he had been ignoring it since he agreed to trick the schemer.

His fingers ghosted over the screen of his phone and he looked at a picture of himself with his father on a camping trip they had taken to Lake Ontario a few years ago. They had been friends. Sometimes they were at ends with each other, like any family, but they had been close. It was only natural for him to feel badly for giving his father such a slap in the face.

The door to Zexion's apartment opened and Demyx nearly dropped his phone. He quickly shoved it in his pocket, knowing any kind of photographs would hurt Guilty Conscience, and tried to look nonchalant while sitting on the slate haired boy's countertop.

"How was class?"

Zexion was soaking wet. "Oh, terrific," he replied sarcastically. He had obviously been caught in a sudden downpour and he was less than pleased about it. As the days changed in to the fall, the weather became rainier and colder and shittier. That was how Zexion felt, anyway, and every time the weather bothered him, he thought about relinquishing control to the universe.

He couldn't. He was really quite controlling. More controlling than he had ever really thought.

"Do you… Are you working today?" he asked.

Zexion gave a curt nod and began to strip his wet shirt from his body. He quickly removed his shoes and pants and grabbed a kitchen towel from a drawer so he could dry his hair. He was in nothing but his boxers and he didn't feel a need to be embarrassed. The body wasn't as sexual as everyone seemed to make it out to be. It was a body and aside from his short stature, he wasn't much different from Demyx.

"Oh…"

Zexion, who had been casually drying off his hair, felt the significance of the word and he passed an uncomfortable look to his conscience. He had never been good at reading people or telling how they were feeling, but the way the word slipped, with so much gravity, from the blonde's lips made Zexion suddenly pause. He wavered between disgust (he wasn't sure why _that_ was his response) and curiosity. And because he liked to think he was a man of scientific endeavors, he grumbled, "What?"

Demyx looked up from his feet and then he glanced around the room. "What?" he repeated back.

"What did you say?" Zexion asked, trying to keep his annoyance to a minimum.

"I said… I said oh." He shrugged his shoulders and was giving the other a strange look.

But the shorter boy shook his head and pulled the kitchen towel, now thoroughly wet, away from his mess of slate hair. "No. You didn't just say _oh_. You said…" He paused and his eyes began to move back and forth as if he was searching for something. "What I mean to say is, you… You said…"

Demyx seemed mildly amused by this behavior and he tried to keep his smirking to himself. "I said oh."

"Yes, I'm aware of what you _said_, but the intended _meaning_ –"

"Oh," Demyx said again. Then he noticed the look Zexion was giving him and he blushed. "No, sorry, I wasn't… I wasn't teasing."

An awkward bit of silence came between them and was made worse by Demyx clearing his throat. He _really_ needed to stop doing that. It never made the situation any better.

"Um…" Demyx slipped from the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't think you…" He paused for a moment and tried to figure out how to word his next thought delicately. "I didn't think you were smart enough to notice the intention behind… behind sighs or… or anything like that."

Zexion glared. "You didn't think I was _smart enough_?"

Demyx's cheeks heated. "No! I didn't…" He sighed and placed a hand to his face. "No, I didn't mean it like that, Zex, I –"

"Well, look at you! You aren't very smart, now are you?"

The blond dropped his hand down from his face and waited, expectantly, for the liturgy of what was wrong with him to follow Zexion's original sentence. But nothing happened and when it didn't, Demyx frowned deeply. He didn't understand.

"Well?" He tapped his foot impatiently and Demyx grew uncomfortable.

"W-well what?"

"You aren't very smart, are you?"

The blond blushed heatedly and tried to keep his humiliation to a minimum. It was an _actual_ question, not a statement in the form of an interrogative sentence. He didn't know how to answer this and, instead, was left pawing for some kind of answer. He was wading through words, or bits of words, that he didn't know how to properly string together and he would have been better able to field this kind of tantrum-response had he not been thinking about his father, his lack of a future, or the embarrassing situation with Xigbar.

Demyx also realized that the longer he was delaying his answer, the more he was proving Zexion's point. But the bookworm either didn't realize this or didn't care and he just crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for some sort of answer that he knew probably wouldn't come.

"It's a yes or no."

Demyx pointedly looked away and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, I'm a manifestation of you so technically speaking –"

"Manifestation or not," Zexion growled because he _didn't _appreciate Demyx attempting to point the conversation away from the question. "You're obviously different."

He couldn't argue this and instead he just sort of helplessly shrugged his shoulders and let another horribly awkward, seemingly time-consuming silence engulf them.

"Not answering isn't an option," he insisted.

The blond had been staring at his feet, but he jerked his head up and glared. "No, okay? I guess I'm not."

Zexion tried to hide his shock at the harshness in the other's voice. He had seen Demyx cycle through emotions before, but they were always generally _positive_ emotions. He couldn't recall an instance in which Demyx had said a terse word to him or even so much as been curt. He was loud, but he never yelled. Not in an angry manner, anyway.

"Do you feel better?" Demyx asked and this time it was Zexion who blushed.

"Quite," the shorter boy said, attempting to insist he wasn't embarrassed. This confrontation was unlike all the other ones because this time Zexion had seemed to hit a nerve. Perhaps he had called Demyx stupid before or insinuated he wasn't all that intelligent, but something was different about this time and it made him feel rather unpleasant.

Demyx stared at him for what felt like a while. Their eyes met, briefly, a few times, but Zexion kept looking away. All the smiles, all the laughter, all the happiness had left the blonde's face and Zexion noticed, when he _did_ glance the other's way, that his face was somewhat lined with what looked like worry or stress. He noticed that without that charismatic smile, that charming glint in his large, beautifully blue eyes, he looked…

Dark.

Uncompromising.

Unapproachable and resilient.

Like he was about to be consumed by his own gloom.

"Stop," Zexion mumbled quietly. "Stop looking at me like that."

It was like looking into a mirror, save for the blond hair and blue eyes. It was eerie and disturbing and Zexion, who spent much time prepping himself in front of a mirror each day, had never actually looked at himself. He never actually perceived himself. And though on some level, he _knew_ he looked unfriendly, he didn't like to think about it.

He hated thinking there was something so tragically wrong with him.

"This is how you look at the whole world," Demyx said wearily. "And the world looks back at you with the same face."

Thunder boomed outside and Zexion suddenly wished he was more appropriately dressed for this conversation. He wished he couldn't feel Demyx's eyes burning holes in his skin. He wished he hadn't chosen to pick a fight. He wished Demyx didn't sound so tired, so sullen, and he was mightily disconcerted when their fight didn't end in him feeling justified in some way. He was unsettled when he noticed that that usual satisfaction of telling off someone _stupid _or so _worthless_ of his time was absent.

"Have a good day at work," Demyx mumbled before walking toward the door, putting his shoes on, and walking out.

And it wasn't until _after_ the door closed that Zexion muttered quietly, "Are you coming back?"

••••••••••••••

**Demyx was soaked **to his core when he had managed to get to Axel and Riku's house. He had to leave the apartment. He had to leave Zexion. It wasn't in his nature to be sad for a long time, but some days were harder than others. And he knew it wasn't Zexion that was getting him down, but his own feelings of self-doubt, guilt, and general self-loathing.

Demyx was a talker, too. He didn't bottle it all up like Zexion. He liked to let it all out because the sooner he did, the sooner he got to feeling better. Unfortunately, he certainly couldn't have unloaded all his woes unto Zexion because it would've stabbed major holes in the job he had been hired to do. So he left and he was a bit torn about it because he _wanted_ to talk to Zexion.

Where his knowledge of people and daily life left off, Zexion's knowledge of philosophy, science, and logic came in. They had good talks. They were good together, Demyx felt, even if the shorter boy was incredibly high-strung.

And maybe he could be somewhat of an annoying putz, too, but…

A sigh parted Demyx's lips and he casually entered the pool house. The outside was dark and foreboding and when he tried to turn the lights on inside, they wouldn't react. So Demyx removed his wet clothes, his boxers included, and made his way over to the couch. He didn't sleep so well on couches. At least not Zexion's. But he was getting free room and board, so he didn't really see it fit to complain.

The blond flopped down on the couch, but immediately scrambled back up when whatever – or whoever – he had landed on made a noise beneath him.

"Fuck."

Demyx frowned. "Axel?"

The redhead threw the blanket off himself and rubbed his shoulder. "Jesus Christ. Do you always body slam furniture when you lie down?"

The blond sighed. "Sorry."

He had clearly been sleeping and seemed to take no note of Demyx's current state of undress. Instead, the redhead picked up his phone, sighed, and then tossed it down to the floor.

"Bitches… You know?" he grumbled.

Demyx felt that, on some level, he could relate.

Axel patted the seat next to him and the blond sat. They sighed in unison without meaning to and then they exchanged a small look. Lightning lit up the pool house briefly and Demyx thought about asking Axel _why_ he was sleeping on the couch in there.

"How's Zexion?"

Demyx shrugged. "I dunno."

Axel's brow came together. "You haven't been –"

"I have," the blond interrupted, in no mood for anymore scolding. "I just… He's so cold."

A laugh escaped the redhead's mouth and he patted Demyx's shoulder. "I thought he was lonely," he teased. "Your world is illuminated now, you know?"

A sigh parted between his chapped lips and he felt he couldn't even begin to describe the mix of emotions he was feeling. Zexion _was_ cold, but Demyx knew that his assessment was currently unfair because he was in a bad mood. And his bad mood had only been worsened by Zexion who had been cold to him.

It was a vicious circle and Demyx hated to think time was cyclical. Imposing change on a straight line was simple. Imposing change on a circle was not.

"How's Roxas?" he asked after a moment.

Axel shrugged. "Weird?" It was the only word he could think to describe his current state of affairs with the moody blond.

"Have you tried, I dunno… Talking to him?" Demyx offered gently.

He snorted in response. "About what? About what an asshole he can be?"

"I was thinking more like… You talk about how you feel."

"I'm not a woman," Axel countered.

"So you have to equip a vagina to talk about how you feel?" the blond asked with mock surprise. "I'm in some deep shit then."

The redhead felt a smile line his lips and it was at this moment he decided he liked Demyx. He had been relatively on the fence about the blond because he was sort of dumb and his gullibility seemed dangerous. But he was a nice fellow and very light-hearted.

"I don't know," Axel grumbled. "He made fun of me."

Demyx raised his brows. "And?"

He pouted for a moment and then he made a disgruntled sound. "And it hurt my feelings."

"And?" the blond pressed.

"And he's a dick for doing that."

Demyx made a motion with his hand, indicating to Axel that he should really speed up the conversation and just skip bashing Roxas for the next five or six questions of "and."

"And maybe I've been a massive prick to him and _maybe_ I should apologize. Happy?"

The blond shrugged. "I'm all right if you're all right."

Axel eased back into the couch and gave the other an up and down look. "Look at you, huh? Mr. Conscience over here. Giving your wisdom to _all_ shitty people, not just Zexion."

Demyx smiled slightly, but it faltered somewhat. "You're not a shitty person," he defended.

Axel laughed. "I'm taking revenge on Zexion because sometimes he's a real dick to me on the bus."

The blonde's brow furrowed. "No, no… He was also mean to Roxas and he's… generally unpleasant. You're doing it to better him so when he's a reformed person, he can actually be happy."

The redhead's unintentionally derisive laughter caused the hair on Demyx's neck to stand on end. He didn't like how evil it sounded. He didn't like how cruel it sounded. It was the same feeling of disgust and shame he got whenever he watched porn.

"Maybe that's how you justify doing this, but I assure you I could give a shit about how Zexion turns out in the end. No one here created Guilty Conscience for any sort of helpful reason. It was created to annoy Zexion, to exact revenge, and to fuck around with his life for a few months."

Demyx shifted, clearly troubled by the information he guessed he already kind of knew.

"But, hey, what goes around comes around, huh? Sometimes you have to create your own karma. Sometimes the universe just takes too fucking long to answer your prayers."

"Right," Demyx mumbled, unsure of how he felt about that. "Right…"

"And, look, Dem?" Axel grasped the other's shoulder and when the blond looked at him, their eyes met. "Don't feel bad. This weighs little on your conscience. You're just our pawn, remember? Don't let it get to you."

Demyx couldn't make any promises.

••••••••••••••

**He exited the **conversation after he and Axel sat in a heavy silence that was eventually broken by the redhead mumbling, "So… nice equipment you're sporting. Have you been naked this whole time?"

He figured that was his cue to leave, so he put on his wet clothes and his shoes and he walked out the door and into the rain again. It wasn't that he didn't like Axel, but the conversation they had just had did nothing to cheer him up. Was he a shitty person for doing this to Zexion? Was he really a pawn in this or was he just as bad as Axel and Riku? If, in the end, Zexion changed and his life _was _better, could Demyx take credit for it and leave it out there for karma to notice? Or would it not matter because the intent of his visit had been to harm?

Well… Axel and Riku wanted him to harm. He didn't want to hurt Zexion.

He couldn't recall a time he had ever purposefully wanted to really hurt anyone.

Demyx walked in the rain for a while. He was sullen. It was occurring to him at a rapid pace that while he chided Zexion for being selfish, he was selfish himself. The only reason he was going along with Axel and Riku was so he could open a music shop and impress his father. He was messing around with this poor boy's life because he thought a business would make his dad happy.

What would've made his dad happy was not running away, not ditching college, and staying on the path that had been laid out for him. He was realizing that he had messed up in his _own_ life and he was messing up Zexion's life to get it back on track.

_But if it makes him a better person… _Demyx tried to reason unsuccessfully. Did that even matter? Because Zexion would, undoubtedly, find out that this was a scam. He'd, at some point, figure it all out and put all the pieces together. And would he take to heart everything Demyx had tried to teach him? Or would he be so overcome with rage and betrayal that he'd just go back to the way he was?

He made a sort of helpless noise and noted how much he hated it when his thoughts became this muddled.

••••••••••••••

"**Vexen."**

The bookstore owner glanced down at the slate haired boy from atop the stool on which he was standing. He was placing a few books on one of the higher shelves and Zexion's presence, especially in this rainstorm, surprised him.

"Out contemplating the universe?" Vexen asked somewhat unkindly.

Zexion opened his mouth to respond, but the older man didn't let him speak. "There's something different about you today. You seem to be lacking some dead weight."

The bookworm shifted, knowing his ex-boyfriend was talking about Demyx. "Actually –"

"Finally get rid of him?" Vexen asked somewhat happily as he stepped down from the stool and stood before Zexion. "Or, let me guess… He went to headquarters to await further instruction?"

He shrugged half-heartedly and let his eyes fall to the floor. Why did he think asking _Vexen_ if he had seen Demyx was a good idea? Maybe he wasn't as smart as he liked to perceive himself to be.

Or maybe he didn't want to be alone. He didn't really know.

"What?" Vexen asked. "Missing him?" he teased.

Zexion didn't respond.

"… You _do_ miss him." His tone dripped with contempt.

"I… Actually," the slate haired boy began, "I just… I sort of lost him."

"Well, it is quite easy to misplace things we don't care about…" Vexen stated carefully. He was waiting for Zexion to jump on the bandwagon as he normally did. He was waiting for the bookworm to talk about how much he disliked Demyx, how much he hated what was going on, and how happy he was that the blond was out of his life at the moment.

He didn't defend Vexen's statement, but he didn't agree with it either. Instead he pulled his phone from his pocket and mumbled something about needing to be somewhere else. Zexion began to retreat, but Vexen grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

"Do you _like_ him?"

Their eyes met and it was cold in to cold. Vexen's hard, uncompromising stare and Zexion with a look of neutrality. Because maybe he was a little tired of fighting today.

"Maybe," Zexion shrugged. "But… How a child treasures a stuffed toy. I like him, I suppose, in the sense that he provides some sort of… warmth, maybe. Or security."

Vexen didn't know if that was worse than his ex liking Demyx in a romantic way. He'd sort himself out later, but at the moment he was a little annoyed that Zexion dared to be so incredibly honest with him.

••••••••••••••

**What brought him **to the Catholic Church, he supposed, was what Zexion had said to him a few weeks ago on their bus rude.

Demyx had never been, or felt, so alone before. Because he had run away and because he had insisted he start his own, new path of life, he was alone. While he and Axel seemed to be friends, Demyx was unsure of how to go about speaking with him. As far as Riku or Sora or Roxas were concerned… He didn't know them at all.

And it would be weird to suddenly pour his feelings out to them, all of his muddled thoughts.

"So maybe… I don't know," Demyx sighed. He sat on his side of the confessional booth and all he could tell about the priest was that he was an older, white gentleman. "I'm conflicted. Is it really okay for me to do this if he turns out to be a better person? Or… Or am I just telling myself that so my _own_ conscience doesn't go topsy-turvy?"

The priest listened patiently and had been doing so for about a half hour.

"I just… I feel like maybe Zexion –"

"Zexion?"

Demyx frowned and glanced at the wall separating him and the priest. "Yea?" He hadn't meant to give Zexion's name. He had told the story successfully without giving names because he didn't like to incriminate anyone. God, if He existed, probably already knew of the antics going on, but maybe He was turning a blind eye this time.

"That boy burned a pentagon in the church yard some years ago. It brought along the Satanist in hoards."

Demyx slouched in his seat and rubbed at his temples. "Oh my God…" He paused. "Gosh," he corrected. "Sorry."

The priest waved his hand dismissively. "It's all right, my child. God doesn't mind." There was a moment of silence before the priest began to speak again, "Maybe God also wouldn't mind if you help Zexion along his path to…" He searched for the most diplomatic word. "Enlightenment."

Demyx frowned. "But –"

"Intent plays a rather large role in the question of what's right or wrong. Is your intent to hurt him?"

The blond muttered, "No…"

"Based on what you've told me, it sounds like you intent is to _help_ him. You're only conflicted because you're allowing yourself to think too much about too many different things."

He thought this over and wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"Life will unfold as it should. If you tell your friend now, he will be hurt _and_ go back to his old ways. But if you help him change and he sees how pleasant life can be when he's pleasant himself, maybe he won't go back to how he used to be."

"…Do you think he'll be hurt?" Demyx asked unsurely.

"Undoubtedly," the priest responded honestly. "Betrayal never sits well with anyone. But if you teach him that forgiveness is part of eternal happiness too, maybe you'll be unscathed in the end."

He felt strangely better.

••••••••••••••

**He was sitting **in a pew, praying with a Rosary the priest had given him as a gift. It had a rainbow pattern to it and Demyx didn't know if this was the priest telling him he knew he was gay and all right with it or if this just happened to be the pattern for this particular Rosary.

He counted the beads, unsure of the prayers because he had never gone to church before, and he sighed softly at how the jewelry felt in his hand. Jewelry… Could he call it that?

"Demyx?"

The blond turned in the pew and hid his surprise when he saw Zexion standing a few pews back. The shorter boy made a bee-line toward him and, curiously enough, he kneeled before the pew, crossed himself, and then entered.

"Tradition?" Demyx asked.

Zexion shrugged. "Something like that."

He sat down next to the blond and noted the Rosary he was holding. The smallest of smiles crossed his features, but he didn't mention it. It was a bit of a relief to find Demyx, but Zexion wasn't sure why. He had enjoyed the alone time he had been allocated that day and a half Demyx left, but…

Well, he supposed his conscience had left on a happier note that time. This time he had left in a state Zexion had never witnessed.

He had left in a state Zexion didn't even know was possible.

"What are you doing here?" Demyx asked. The church was warm and well lit and the storm was still raging outside. When Demyx had come through the church doors, the priests had given him some towels to dry off with and a change of clothes. They had assumed that he was homeless originally, but he quickly made it clear he just wanted to talk to someone.

"Uh…" Zexion, who had brought an umbrella, was relatively dry. "You left."

Demyx shrugged. "I've left before."

"It was different this time," he mumbled somewhat moodily.

The blond looked at the other curiously, but then he decided he wouldn't press the situation. He felt better, considerably, after talking out his problems, but he wasn't in the mood to argue or fight. He still missed his father and the priest had urged him to call, but…

Maybe after he was successful, he'd let his dad know what he had been up to.

"Why… Why did you come here?" Zexion asked with a frown.

He thought this over for a moment and then he shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "You said it was a good place to talk to people. You'll be happy to hear you were right."

A heavy sigh left his small frame and he leaned back in the pew, his hands going over his eyes to press at them in a mixture of angst and irritation. "What is wrong with me?"

Demyx frowned. "Nothing…"

Zexion dropped his hands to his sides and rolled his head lazily to look at the blond. "My own _conscience_ had to find someone to talk to. That's… That can't be good."

The blond smiled and slipped the Rosary in to his pocket. "Hey. I'm a manifestation which means I'm human, like you, for the time being. Sometimes I have to talk things out or think about things. It ain't easy being your conscience."

"And it isn't easy playing along," Zexion mumbled.

Demyx rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. "When will you believe in me?"

His body visibly tensed when he muttered, "When I believe in God."

••••••••••••••

"**Let me hold **the umbrella," Demyx whined. "You're too short."

Zexion's eyes narrowed, but because he still felt badly about their argument in the apartment earlier, he conceded and let the taller man hold it over them. The rain was coming down heavy and the storm continued on its merciless path through their city. It was later in the evening now and darkness had rolled in, making everything unrecognizable if it wasn't lit up by the headlights of cars or street lamps.

"Hey," Demyx said, his hand going to grasp Zexion's shoulder. "Are you hungry?"

He contemplated this briefly before nodding his head. They took refuge from the storm in the first place they came across which happened to be a diner called Philly's. Once Demyx had managed to close the other's umbrella, they took a seat at the bar. They were the only partakers, probably because of the storm.

The man working at the bar gave them two menus and took their drink order. Zexion, who seemed oddly subdued, remembered to say 'please' and 'thank you' and avoided, for the most part, any kind of rudeness. This sincerely brightened Demyx's day.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Zexion shrugged and continued browsing through his menu. Demyx could ask whatever he wanted, but it was in his jurisdiction to answer or not.

"Why don't you believe in God?"

The shorter boy made a face. "Shouldn't you know –"

"—because I'm your conscience? No. That isn't a right or wrong."

Zexion didn't argue that, to some people, a lack of belief or faith could easily be labeled as _wrong_. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, tried to ignore Demyx's lingering eyes, and tried to decide what he wanted to eat.

The barman brought their drinks to them and Demyx reached out to finger his glass. He took the straw that had been set on the counter for him and opened it, placing it in his drink, but not bothering to sip. He took the other straw, presumably Zexion's straw, and did the same, slightly surprised when the other mumbled, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Demyx said happily.

"You fellas ready to order?" the barman asked.

They nodded and placed their orders, both of them quite content with their current predicament.

"So…" Demyx tried again. "What did God do to you?"

"Nothing," Zexion replied snappishly. "I mean…" He sighed. "I don't have to have a reason."

The blond smiled a little sadly. "Even bad people have reasons for doing the things they do, Zexion…"

A very faint blush crossed his cheeks and he shifted on his barstool. "I… Are… Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Demyx thought over what he had just said and then he quickly tried to backtrack. "No, no! I didn't…" He sighed. "I'm putting my foot in my mouth a lot today…"

Zexion smiled very, very lightly and the blond hesitantly reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze. He knew Zexion didn't like being touched, but he figured the gesture wasn't incommodious when the other didn't recoil in disgust.

"I didn't mean to say that you were a bad person. You're not. I just meant that… that everyone has a reason for everything they do. Sometimes the reason makes no sense or it doesn't fit with logic or… whatever, but almost always there's a reason."

Zexion considered this and then glanced Demyx's way when the blond slipped his hand away from his shoulder. Touch was still… It was still something he was attempting to get used to, but only because Demyx was a very touchy-feely individual. Zexion would never be this collected if anyone else touched him as freely as Demyx did.

Control…

"How can one be so controlling and yet lack so much control?"

The question caught the blond off guard and he tried to think of an answer. "Well…" Their food came and he paused to thank the barman. When he walked away, Demyx looked toward the ceiling in thought. "Maybe… If you spent less time trying to control things, you could spend more time working on how to control yourself."

He hadn't exactly answered the question, but Zexion was satisfied with this reply. He supposed this was true. He had read once, in some book, that multitasking and divided attention came at a cost. When attention is divided, one is only able to give 70% or 50% or 30% of his or her attention to each task they're attempting to concentrate on.

Demyx was giving Zexion solid advice without really meaning to. If he focused more on controlling himself over controlling other, external things, he'd probably be surprised to find he had much more self-control than he originally thought.

"So…" Demyx took a bite out of his hamburger. He swallowed his mouthful before saying, "Why won't you tell me about God?"

Zexion took a sip from his drink. "Well, once upon a time, God created the universe and –"

"Okay, okay. I'll leave it alone."

He gave a curt nod and they ate their food in silence, the only sound being that of the storm outside. Like the church, the diner was warm and inviting. And, much like the church, Zexion and Demyx were the only two there aside from the individuals who worked there. It didn't take them long to finish eating and when they had paid the check, they stood awkwardly at the door of the diner. The rain was still pouring down.

"Maybe we can run for it?" Demyx questioned.

Zexion shrugged and leaned against the other slightly so he could get a better look outside. "My apartment is fifteen blocks away."

The blond sighed. "Maybe you can call Vexen for a rid –"

"No."

"Well damn. Shut down," he joked.

Zexion's body had stiffened considerably at the name and he tried to erase the image of the older man from his mind. He had left the bookstore in a rather unpleasant state because Vexen hadn't liked his answer about Demyx at all.

And it did bother him to know he had upset his ex, intentional or not. On some level he did _care_ about Vexen. It was possible his feelings for the older man were the byproduct of some deep, subconscious and unrequited love for the other. But as he was becoming more self-aware, he was beginning to think he was just lonely and he had always enjoyed Vexen's company so why shouldn't he still enjoy it now?

"All we ever did was fuck."

Demyx looked surprised. It wasn't that Zexion had said it. It was the way he worded it. The shorter boy did swear, but they had never talked about sex before and the blond guessed he just always assumed Zexion would be…

Well, he had assumed the other would call it making love or intercourse or sex.

"You and Vexen?"

He nodded. "We didn't have a whole hell of a lot in common."

The blond frowned and turned his attention to the storm outside. "You both read books."

Zexion smiled wryly. As much as it pained him to admit it, books couldn't solve all his problems. "It's hard being with someone who doesn't treat you like an equal."

Demyx clapped the other on the back. "So you were the woman in the relationship, I take it?"

He gave his conscience a look and shook his head. "Never mind."

"No!" he said quickly, and loudly, "No, sorry. I was just kidding."

There was an awkward moment between them, but it was quickly relieved when Zexion sighed and meandered over to a booth. He didn't feel like walking in the rain for the third time that day and he didn't feel like going back to his apartment either. Sometimes that place didn't feel like home.

Demyx followed him, slipping in the seat on the other side of the booth. He fingered a sugar packet, a look of guilt crossing his features. Zexion, who never was in a joking mood, seemed much more somber and quiet than what was usual. It was a bit eerie and Demyx made a note to stop joking around lest he further alienate the slate haired boy.

"You know what?"

Zexion grunted, "Hm?" and stared at the table top.

"I think history repeats itself because people always want things to go back to the way they were. Nostalgia, you know? It's a real powerful thing. And, you know, I think people want to go back to the way things were because I think people all want to go home again. Whether that place is actually _home_ or a certain place in time… I think it all goes back to memory." Demyx paused. "Like… Zombies. The theory is that they choose to go to certain places because memory leads them back there. I think that's why even people who grow up hating their hometowns, they still always go back. Because I think you can hate your hometown all you want, but all the memories, the familiarity, will keep you coming back."

Zexion looked at the other carefully. This was another instance of Demyx being surprisingly insightful and probably not even realizing it. The bookworm sighed gently and leaned back in his booth, his eyes passing a look of longing for some place that had been brought up in his own memory. Of course he had wanted to go home again. This town had been his home for a very long time, but he hadn't always lived in that apartment. He hadn't always lived in this part of town.

"Member when we were on the bus and I asked you where you would go?"

Zexion didn't seem to be listening, but he nodded.

"If you could choose a place in your memory to go, where would it be? Where would your nostalgia lead you?"

He was quiet for a long time. Where _would_ his nostalgia lead him? His memories weren't exactly bad or unhappy ones, but they also weren't memories he'd want to go back to. He began to drum his fingers on the tabletop and then he shrugged his shoulders in a helpless manner before mumbling, "I really don't know."

Demyx frowned. "How can you not know?"

Zexion looked at him, his expression somewhat pained. "Because… Because I think to have nostalgia or to want to go back to something, it has to, at the very least, be some kind of marginally _happy_ memory, doesn't it? You have to associate something good with it or… Or why would you want to go back to it?"

He thought about giving the answer of "masochism," but decided not to.

"No," the blond decided after a moment of thought. "Happiness is relative. Sometimes you're in something, like a relationship, and you think it's really great. Then you guys break up and you look back on it and realize you weren't _really_ happy. Maybe it takes years to realize it and maybe you're with someone else when you realize it, but…" Demyx shrugged. "Things change."

"Only to repeat themselves…"

A large smile broke out onto his features and he shook his head. "Now, you can't have that attitude! Some things repeat themselves, but not always! Besides, you have to believe in change, at least for yourself, if you want to be different."

Zexion shrugged and didn't look at Demyx. Change, change, change… That's all they ever really talked about. If he boiled down all their topics of conversation to the minimum, he knew he'd find _change_ littered throughout each contemplative and philosophical exchange.

Thunder boomed outside and lightning struck. The lights dimmed for a brief moment and Demyx made a face. Something Zexion couldn't place, but he saw excitement in the other's blue eyes.

"You know…" the slate haired boy began. "When I was little, I used to sleep with my parents in their bed a lot. I was afraid of the dark and afraid to be alone. By the time I was eight, my Dad was really sick of it." He sighed. "So… When my Mom went out of town for a few nights, my Dad told me I had to sleep in _my_ bed by myself. I threw a huge tantrum so my Dad conceded. But then in the middle of the night I… I had a nightmare or something. I don't remember, but… But I woke up and I wanted my dad to check under the bed because I thought there was a monster under there. So he got up, grabbed a broom, and in the dark he began to sweep whatever I believed was under the bed into my Mom's closet. Then he closed the closet door and said, 'There. Now the monster's in the closet. Maybe it can't work a doorknob and maybe it won't come out to get you tonight.'"

Demyx raised his eyebrows, the smile that had once been gracing his features gone.

"Of course I left his room after that and started sleeping in my own room. I never told my Mom what happened."

"Why?" It was all he could really think to say.

Zexion considered this and then he shook his head. "Because I guess it was time to grow up."

Demyx looked a bit taken aback. "You were _eight_."

He shrugged. "I was also really smart."

"But you were eight."

"I had a really high reading level. I skipped a grade."

"_But you were eight_."

A very tiny, very tired smile crossed his features and he didn't respond. It wasn't a situation that had greatly marred his childhood. Granted, he thought his father was a bit of a dick sometimes, but he figured that every child went through a period of being rather disgruntled by their folks. His parents had never been unusually cruel or hateful toward him. They had provided for him as best they could and his mother had constantly fought battles for him.

Battles _he started_ because he couldn't be asked to share, to play nice, to be a gentleman, to hold his tongue when speaking to an authoritative figure. And his mother, ever wonderful, was always there insisting Zexion didn't do something they both knew he _did_. She was always there, insisting he was just too smart, just misunderstood, just woefully uninformed about how to act in social situations.

She was always on his side because he was her son.

"Hey, Demyx?"

The blond looked at Zexion. "Hm?"

"I'm…" He hesitated. "I'm sorry about… About making you… whatever today."

His lips slowly curled into a wide grin. "_What?_"

The shorter boy sighed, giving the other a look. "You know what I'm trying to say."

"No, darling," he drawled, "I'm a bit too stupid to understand, I'm afraid."

Zexion let his shoulders sag. "I'm sorry for… calling you stupid. Or… or making you feel stupid or whatever."

Demyx was practically swooning. "It's okay. I sort of… put my foot in my mouth. I didn't mean to offend you. You are really smart. Sometimes I just suck at words."

The bookworm held a look of neutrality. "I'm not smart about everything," he admitted. "Just… books, I guess. And maybe school."

Demyx reached out hesitantly and placed his hand on top of Zexion's own. Their eyes met, the foreboding, deadly gray into vibrant, deep blue, and he didn't jerk back. He didn't move. His heart made a rather unnecessary motion in his chest, but he didn't pull away.

"You aren't stupid, though. Some people just need help and they need to be taught. Saying you're dumb when it comes to… to things that _aren't_ books or school is like saying you're stupid because you have to be taught how to play the violin."

He hadn't considered this before and he liked the way the words made him feel. He was dealing in extremes, he supposed. He guessed people didn't _have_ to be smart or dumb and he supposed they could fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. And he also noted that it was unfair to say someone was dumb just because they weren't smart about the same things _he_ was smart about.

"Thanks," Zexion mumbled. "I feel… oddly better."

They were finally getting somewhere.

••••••••••••••

**Sora was clearly **dying and Riku and Kairi were just ignoring it. Considering he had been maybe _mildly_ stalking them since they started dating, Sora wasn't too offended that they didn't notice his pain. His talk with Roxas a month or so back had weighed heavy on his conscience briefly, but then he reminded himself that they were actually _helping_ Zexion. He justified what he had done for Riku and Axel by telling himself repeatedly that they were definitely helping Zexion out.

He didn't believe it, but it helped him sleep at night sometimes.

"This is… so weird."

Sora jumped and glared at Axel. "Are you watching me?"

The redhead shrugged. "I'm watching you watching Riku and the Beard."

The brunet rolled his eyes. "She's not a beard, man. Riku doesn't have to be gay."

"But wouldn't it just be so nice for you?"

He didn't respond and, instead, pretended to scoop leaves out of their pool. Fall had set in and the weather had been bad. As a result, Sora hadn't been out to Riku and Axel's house in a while and there was a slight chance he had been maybe avoiding them because of their last encounter.

Well… He had been avoiding their _house_. He had been possibly stalking Riku slightly. Not in a way that was creepy or weird, but just wanted to make sure he and Kairi didn't…

Well, do the Bing Bing.

"Why doesn't your pool have a tarp for the winter time?" Sora grumbled, trying to clear his head. Riku and Kairi were sitting on the other side of the pool, on one pool chair, holding hands and exchanging kisses.

"We do," Axel said as he watched his step brother and the girl carefully. "But Dad hates it when the pool is covered because of how badly the chlorine smells."

Sora dropped the net in to the pool and groaned. "Are you telling me I have to clean your stupid pool _all fall and winter_?"

Axel snorted. "Hey, don't you want to stalk Riku anyway? Perfect excuse to come over."

"I'm not…" He sighed and made a disgusted noise in his throat as got on his knees to fish the net out of the pool. And Axel, being bored and playful, placed his foot on Sora's behind and sent him flailing face-first into the somewhat chilly pool water.

"Oh no!" Axel exclaimed mockingly. "The pool boy has fallen in! If only there was someone here to save him…" He caught Riku's eye and Riku rmade a face. Kairi looked confused.

Sora resurfaced. He looked absolutely pissed and he glared hatefully at Axel. He opened his mouth to yell a few choice obscenities at him, but Riku had come to the edge of the pool and put his hand out.

"Here," he said gently.

Sora hesitated, but then he took Riku's hand. Their eyes met, that wonderful, strange aqua color in to endless blue, and Sora did something he didn't think himself capable of. He gripped his friend's hand tightly and yanked him headfirst in the pool water.

Axel's bored look became incredibly amused and Kairi stood up from her pool chair, shocked by the brunet's behavior. Still, no one had really bothered to explain anything to her. Even when she asked Riku, he just kind of shrugged and didn't really say anything. Only one piece of information had crossed her ears and that was what Roxas had told her the first time they met.

Riku was gay and she was a beard. She wasn't so sure about this though.

Riku came up from the water, looking annoyed.

Sora was grinning. "Angry?"

"A little bit, yea…" he growled. "Do you want a head start?"

The brunet looked amused. "Why? Are you gonna beat me up?"

"Do it, Ri. Sora doesn't care what you do so long as you're touching him!" Axel called from the sidelines.

Riku rolled his eyes and Sora arched a single brow. Time stood still for a brief moment and then Riku and Sora were both scrambling to get out of the pool. Neither of them bothered to use the ladder or steps and, instead, they tried to climb up onto the pavement. They yanked and pulled at each other, scraping their hands and arms against the concrete surface. Eventually it was Sora who worked his way out of the pool first.

Axel was impressed by this.

"Yea!" Sora raised his arms in victory. "I beat Riku!" He looked at the redhead for some form of congratulations, but he was suddenly knocked over and his body was slammed into the pavement.

"Here's a tip…" Axel purred as he squatted down next to the two wrestling boys. "Celebrate _after_ you're safely away from the hunter, Prey."

They struggled, unsure of whether or not they were playing or really fighting. Sora knew he was bleeding from somewhere because of his harsh contact with the pavement, but he didn't mind so much. Their hands were all over each other, their bodies pressed together, and then their positions changed and Sora was on top of Riku. He managed to pin the other's arms above his head and the older boy struggled until he realized he was caught.

"Holy shit. "Axel grinned. "Look at you, Sora, managing to pin Riku down."

The silver haired boy was not at all pleased by this and he made a move to get up, but the brunet had him. Sora and Riku had only play fought once and Riku had very easily beaten the other. Sora guessed this was just simple luck. That, or he was somehow more powerful because he had all this pent-up tension and frustration – both sexually and emotionally.

"Whatever. Let me up," Riku grumbled.

"No, no," Sora cooed. "I think… I think you should say… 'Sora is the cutest, friendliest, and best individual I've met within the last decade.' Yea, that'll do."

He stared. "I'm not saying that."

"Guess you're not getting up then, huh?" Sora smirked.

Riku didn't like his cocky attitude. One of the reasons he and Axel fought was because they were too similar. They were both cocky and they both joked and played around. Sora's sudden sassiness, combined with the fact that he had just bested him in a play fight, really rubbed Riku the wrong way.

"You'd really rather stay on the ground?"

"Yea, Ri." Axel squatted down next to him. "You're getting bugs and dirt in that _beautiful_ head of hair you strive to take care of."

He _did_ strive to take care of his hair. But that was _only_ because it was very fine, very delicate hair.

"I mean, if you think you can get up, you're more than welcome to try," Sora teased.

By now, Kairi had walked over to investigate. She had seen their wrestling from across the pool and it had surprised her whenever Sora overtook Riku. Not that she didn't think Sora could hold his own (she didn't know him well at all, but he looked very able), but she knew Riku was competitive and exceptionally prideful.

"I can make you get off," Riku said with a note of seriousness in his voice.

"Pft, yea, and Roxas tops Axel in bed." He rolled his eyes and Axel was glad no one could see the small blush that heated his cheeks. He had barely seen or heard from his boyfriend since their fight and aside from the occasional text message he sent to the blond (usually saying 'I love you' or 'Do you love me still?'), they hadn't talked about anything.

"Ri, maybe you should just concede, man," Axel offered helpfully. "Just say what the little fucker wants you to say and then roll on out with your girl."

He considered this for a brief moment, but then Axel thoughtfully added, "But your dignity stays here."

Riku's eyes narrowed and he met Sora's gaze. "Lean down."

The brunet hesitated. "I… I don't know. This sounds like a trap."

Axel already knew what was going to happen next and he was suddenly torn between watching the scene unfold and stopping it.

"No, just… Lean down," Riku said. "I'll say what you want, but it's for your ears only."

If Riku had been anyone else, Sora would've laughed in his face and said no. He wasn't stupid. He knew something fishy was going on here. However, whatever it was, it meant his face would be inches from Riku's lips. And if Riku really _was_ going to whisper something in his ear, Sora wouldn't really mind that. Hell, he'd even admit that he wouldn't mind it so much if Riku gave him a bite.

Provided it wasn't a blood-drawing, dog attack-esque bite that would require a hospital visit and possibly a Tetanus shot.

Sora leaned down and Riku lifted his neck slightly, pressing a kiss to the brunet's lips.

Axel made a face and his eyebrows were raised. He was torn between looking pained and smiling because, in all honesty, it was one thing to poke at Sora's crush and joke about his homosexuality, but it was something entirely different to _play_ with his emotions like that.

"Riku…" Axel grimaced. "Dude…"

Their lips broke apart and Sora, who had lost his grip on the older boy's arms, was shoved off roughly and Riku pinned him very easily. Kairi's eyes were wide, but there was a delighted smile on her face. Maybe she was a beard. But… honestly? She was okay with this. She was a virgin. She was in high school. Riku was a practice boyfriend, obviously, and she didn't feel badly using him since he was obviously using her.

What straight guy would kiss another one?

"Wow," Kairi said.

Sora seemed to be in some kind of shock. Even when he had been pinned, he didn't try to get up or shake the other off. His eyes were wide, his lips slightly wet, and he was trying to keep that moment in his memory for as long as possible.

"Shocked?" Riku smirked. "Yea. It happens. I'm a pretty good kisser."

Axel shook his head and grabbed the back of his step brother's shirt. He yanked him off Sora and ignored his swearing and yelling. The redhead let Riku go and then he reached down, grasping the front of Sora's shirt, and yanking him off his back.

"Good God, man, have some self-respect," he mumbled.

Sora's cheeks were an impossible shade of pink. "Uh…" His heart thumped painfully in his chest. "You win!"

And then he ran away, leaving Kairi, Riku and Axel to stare at his retreating figure.

Riku licked his lips and took Kairi's hand in his own. "I think… He was wearing cherry chap stick."

He loved cherry.

••••••••••••••

**They hadn't talked **much after they had been caught in the storm at the diner the day before. This day had been much nicer (cool and breezy) and Demyx had taken it upon himself to sit outside and watch the sunset. He had thought about texting Axel, maybe asking him if he had patched things up with Roxas, but he figured the redhead had.

Because, well, they loved each other. And loved seemed to solve most problems.

Maybe. Demyx didn't know. He was retarded in love, he figured, because he had never loved anyone before.

"Hello," Zexion said as he stepped out onto the balcony. He slid the door closed behind himself and came to stand next to the blond.

"Hey. How's the studying going?"

"Horrible."

Demyx smiled lightly and a comfortable silence was set between them.

And then the blond quickly made it awkward by clearing his throat.

Zexion raised his eyebrows. "Um… Did you want to say something?"

"Uh…" He swallowed. "Well… It's just… I was thinking…" He took a breath and realized the worst thing the shorter boy could do was say 'no' to what he had to say next. "Member how you were afraid of that monster that your Dad swept in to your Mom's closet?"

He seemed a little amused by the memory and he nodded.

"Well, I was thinking, and I know you don't have a closet or anything, but I know you get lonely and I guess now monsters aren't under your bed, but hypothetically speaking, if they were, you'd probably want someone in there with you."

Zexion let the words sink in and he blinked, his eyebrows coming to knit in the middle of his forehead. He looked up at Demyx, perplexed, and asked, "Are you requesting to sleep in my bed with me?"

He shrugged and kept his embarrassment to a minimum. "Well… As your conscience, I need to make sure you're doing the right things in your dreams. Or… something. Actually, your couch is just giving me a killer backache."

"You could always sleep in Xigbar's room," he mumbled.

Demyx's attention snapped to him at the mention of the older man's name and he stared, his eyes wide. They hadn't talked about him, at all, since the incident and the blond didn't know how to respond.

So he awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "Well, you know, I… I don't have to. I just thought maybe… You know that… That you were lonely, maybe, and you know… Monsters would take _me_ before _you_ because I've got more meat on me, you know? So… That's… That's a survival technique right there."

Zexion nodded his head unsurely. "You can sleep in my bed," he said simply.

Demyx looked at him, somewhat surprised. "Really?"

The bookworm shrugged. "Yea…"

Another comfortable silence came between them and Demyx tried to keep his smiling to a minimum. He had a multitude of reasons to be happy, the first being that Zexion was changing. Second, he wouldn't have to sleep on the couch anymore. And third…

Maybe he sort of liked Zexion a little tiny bit.

And maybe this was kind of the best job he had ever had.

"But don't touch me."

Demyx shook his head and smiled. "I'll do my best to resist."

* * *

**A/N: **There was a bit in here about Axel/Roxas, but I reread this and decided to remove it because… Well… It just didn't make much sense. And it was kind of giving my plotline a curveball and it just sort of sucked balls. So… No Axel/Roxas in this chapter, but the next chapter will probably have some.

This was mostly Demyx/Zexion because I need to move this story forward. I suddenly realized that we're at chapter five (technically chapter six) and very little has happened relationship-wise. Of course, I did plan to move the story SLOWLY forward, but still. You probably noticed there was a significant time jump. This story will probably only be 12-13 chapters or less. I know I said that about _Axel's Fables_ too, but that story just kind of got out of hand. I'm keeping a firm grip on this one.

As some of you know, _Axel's Fables_ is now dead. So this story will be easier to update. A new Axel/Roxas story will be surfacing at some point, but I'm not 100% sure when.

As always, **thanks to the fabulous Aindel S. Druida for beta-editing this chapter. She works very hard (for free!) and is awesome at what she does. She's also good to bounce ideas off because she is so very honest (but not at all mean). Give her profile a gander because she is super-duper awesome.**

Uhh… The next update will be… Sometime. Hopefully no later than a month. Thanksgiving break is fairly soon so I'll have some free time then. I generally have free time on the weekends, but I guess we'll just see.

Thanks for favoriting, alerting, reviewing, and being generally awesome readers. You guys are super cool.

**Thank you for reviewing:**

**dixonTICONDEROGA pencils: **I love this username. So creative and original. My mom flipping loves Ticonderoga pencils. Now she uses mechanical ones, but man… When we used to school shop, she would buy a shitload of them. Uh, anyway… Thanks. I tend to rush things too which is why my chapters go through a thousand rewrites before they're published to ffnet. And I don't really care for bitch-Roxas either, but I always seem to make him bitchy without meaning to. He just… strikes me as tough and someone who doesn't put up with a lot of shit. So he just comes off as seriously bitchy sometimes. I need to curb it.  
I _do not_ hate Sora/Riku at all. However, because they are so played with and sort of written to death, I usually don't make them hunky-dory. Hence the fighting that takes place in this story. If I could, I'd go back and make Sora and Riku best friends in this story instead of Sora just being someone who has a huge crush. But you live and you learn. As for the ending, I already have it worked out. I've had it worked out since the day I began writing this story. Before I post things on ffnet, I ALWAYS make sure I have a good, solid ending with a few twists and turns here and there. It really helps the plot move forward.

**BooIsBaffled: **Yea, my beta said the same thing when she read the chapter. She was like, "Dude, you were off your game," and I was like, "Yea, I know. I only got to reread it once and it was directly after I'd written it so I missed a shitload of the mistakes." But it happens and I'm not too worried because, well, this is fanfiction. That isn't to say you shouldn't put work in to your stories, but there is some leeway when it comes to mistakes. I'm glad you liked it so much. I don't mind any of the _KH_ characters, really. I like Kairi. I just don't like that they made her pretty flipping helpless throughout the games. That was annoying.

**The Moon's Berserk: **Yea, Axel and Roxas can be serious dicks to each other. And Xigbar just plays around too much (which makes him fun to write). I kind of like that Vexen is scientific because it gives the readers a comparison to make. Vexen is scientific and kind of robotic and Zexion, who insists he's the same way, has a more human, emotional side to him. It makes sense why it didn't work out between them. Vexen doesn't seem like the type to let his emotions get really involved and Zexion would, at some point I think, get tired of it.

**Horrid-Hazuki: **I actually don't like long stories at all, as stupid as it sounds. I also actually don't really like to read books. Sometimes I go through kicks where all I want to do is read, but usually no. As far as fanfiction goes, I browse through it now and again, but it's hard to find stuff that's good. And I'm kind of a snobbish dick who clicks stories, reads only the dialogue because I'm too lazy to read the descriptive parts, and then judges the story. Which is complete and total bullshit. I got the sub-plots idea from an author that used to write on ffnet when I was like, erm… maybe fourteen? I think the author was a girl and her stories always had sub-plots which helped make the chapters long and helped break up the parts between the main characters. I actually never read her stories (hahaha), but I did take note of what she did.

**Xxlostinmymangaxx: **And drama there will be! Vexen is here for plot purposes and I'm sure, at some point, there will be conflict. The story is about to get interesting because Demyx and Zexion have broken a barrier and Demyx, now realizing he likes Zexion, is going to start getting a wee bit jealous.

**Sana-chan9: **I think Axel and Roxas operate in a love-hate relationship. I think they would get really, really bored with each other if there was some sort of conflict happening. I don't mean serious drama, just minor misunderstandings and small arguments. It kind of keeps things interesting. I'm not sure I'll bring Naminé in to the story. And Vexen and Xigbar ARE creepy old men, but they work so well for plot purposes. They don't mean to be creepy, but it's sort of hard _not_ to be when you look close to 40 and hang around with 20 year old kids.  
Bahahahahaha. I love that! _Guilty Conscious_: One man's fight to reform the world's most dark person. That makes it sound so serious and cool!

**Stalkette.o: **I'm retarded. I do prattle on about my grammar because, here's the thing, I used to write under a different penname (actually, I used to write under a few different pennames. All are dead except for one, but I don't update the stories that sit there) and because I was young and because my English grammar sucked ass, I was often criticized and flamed. Which is why I'm always like, "SORRY IF MY GRAMMAR IS LIKE A HAIRY BALL SAC SWINGING VIOLENTLY INTO YOUR FACE AND SMACKING YOUR EYES." I'm incredibly sensitive. If I get a review and it's even SLIGHTLY terse (or I think it's terse), my immediate reaction is to go, "Well fuck you, you steaming pile of horseshit" and then go, "Oh God, why did they say that?" and anally look through my story for the error. Also, you're not an asshat. This actually makes me feel good about making minor mistakes.  
Hey, e-mail updates are fine too. And if you spread this by word-of-mouth then we'll probably become best friends. Advertisement does wonders for stories and even though fanfiction is a hobby and I do this all pro bono, I'm still psyched whenever I see people stopping by to read and review. I'm glad you like _Guilty Conscious_ so much. A lot of people are put-off by the summary and the general plotline because they don't see Zexion as falling for Demyx's trick (which… he hasn't). A lot of people really need to, at least, give the chapter a glance before they write this off because, well… This does sort of work.  
My humor, which is not at all funny in real life (it's been called: inappropriate, hurtful, crass, and horrible), takes forever to write. I think because I'm older (haha, 19), I can avoid the whole, "Teehee, he said fuck! Isn't that good?" because I been swearing since I was like… 12. Or 13. Or whatever. As soon as I learned American swear words, I used them all the damn time. I love swearing. It makes me feel so powerful and giddy. But I do attempt to be witty and I do try and put stuff in that I think is funny. I also try and write a chapter, let it sit for a few days, then go back and read it. That way I can pick out the mistakes better and if I read something that's supposed to be funny and I don't even smile, I rework it. I do laugh at my own jokes. I do reread my stories once they're published, sometimes, and giggle.  
I'm glad someone appreciates the douchebaggery or, at least, me attempting to showcase it. Because here's the thing: Riku is NOT a very nice person. He changes at the end of _KH II, _but even when they're on the island, he's like, "Sora, you lazy sack of worthless shit, do you wanna race?" and when he beats you he's like, "You dumb shit. You could never beat me so go die in a fire, fuckface." He's a douchebag. I don't care how much you like him, he's a douche. And he can be caring and sweet and gentle, but on the surface, he is just a giant fuck. So I try and keep him IC by giving him this dual nature of, "I like you, but I'm also a prick so… Go clean my pool."  
I didn't know headphones and earphones were different, to be honest. I figured everyone just wore, what you would call, earphones nowadays. I'm so behind on technology. I just call everything "headphones" to include things like Bluetooth devices. But I'll keep an eye on it now whenever I mention it just to avoid confusion.  
I'm glad you like this story so much and I'm also really glad you reviewed. I'm also super-duper happy you mentioned that I was endearing because, you know, I do try and self-deprecate to show readers I'm not an egotistical fuck who's like, "OH A REVIEW? HAHA WELL YEA, I AM HOT SHIT." I'm also cool with flirting so flirt away.

**QuinntheEskimo: **I think this story is better than _Axel's Fables _because I actually wrote this with a plan in mind. _Axel's Fables_ was meant to be a light-hearted, very short story about a bet. It became something much bigger than I originally thought and so some parts of it didn't work out the way I wanted it to. This is going (mostly) as planned so I think it makes it easier to read. And right – Zexion has gotten used to people kind of being dicks to him so he's just kind of a dick first. Definitely not the way to be if you're looking for positive treatment, but I think we've all had moments where we're convinced life would be better if we were dicks.

**: **Hooray! I try to update as quickly as possible. The wait on this chapter was relatively short, but that's because the chapter was so easy to write. Sometimes I get a little stuck and it's hard to put everything together, but, you know, whatever. I do enjoy Xigbar's blunt and playful personality. Makes it very fun to write.

**IchiakiI: **Megumi is pretty cool. And I just lost my voice recently because I went to Scarowinds (Carowinds is a theme park and 'Scarowinds' is the Halloween event they do there) and I kept screaming on pretty much every ride we went on because I like to emasculate myself whenever I have the chance, I guess. There were a good deal of errors in this, but I'm glad you didn't notice them. Also, I flipping hate tennis. I used to go to lessons when I was like… twelve or something, but I hated it a lot. I also suck at tennis hardcore. Sounds like technology hates you at the moment. I broke my iPhone (by severely misusing it) and I just got a new phone (fuck yea, Words with Friends).

**Khalerx: **I think the different perspectives are mucho important. It allows the reader to see that life is just one big gray area and that the line of 'right' and 'wrong' is constantly moved depending on how one person sees things. Sometimes there are concrete answers to things (like… I think everyone pretty much agrees that rape is wrong), but a lot of shit just falls in to this, "What's your opinion?" area.  
I don't like Vexen either. I think he's creepy and weird and the stories where he and Zexion are together creep me out. Vexen is old and strange and Zexion looks about twelve. Creepy, creepy, creepy.  
I don't speak Japanese (I can count somewhat), so I used Google translate. According to GT, you said "looking forward," right? Google translate is pretty good, but sometimes it's very wrong.  
Um… спасибо большое. Я высоко ценю ваш отзыв.

**O0SoulGuardian0o: **I think you might be a little crazy, but that's okay. It means you're unique (and maybe eventually homeless). ;) I'm glad you like this story. I'm also glad this review wasn't negative like I thought it was. I was like, "FUCK," but that feeling quickly dissipated when I read the rest of the review. So… hooray!

**Akemi713: **Yes! We're getting in to the fluffy territory. I know this story moves at a turtle's pace, but it's all good for plot development.

**Miggery: **You read _Axel's Fables_ too, right? I try and remember who follows both and who doesn't. Um… You should write a whole lot. That's what I did. Now I don't really read books much, but when I was trying to be a better writer, I read a shitload of books. I found one author that I liked and I read almost all his published works and based my writing off that. Also, I dick around on the internet a lot for ideas. And I look for ideas everywhere I go. Sometimes they are shit ideas, but sometimes not. I just write everything down. I dunno if that's how you become a good writer, but that's just what I did. And sometimes my writing is still super balls.  
Yea, I like to abuse Sora in almost all my stories, including my one-shots. He's always dying, getting hurt, contracting HIV, being emotionally abused, etc. He's just so easy to kick around and I think it's because he's nice so he'll take the abuse. Roxas would never do that.

**JayFX: **I can't tell them to love each other because then they would lack a sub-plot! And as much fun as fluffy happiness is, life isn't all hunky-dory. But there will be fluff coming up, I promise.

**Wolf Ness: **Yea he would. He'd be like, "What? Oh, no, it's cool to shoplift," and that would sort of end the story there. I actually don't agree with Vexen completely. On the one hand, it's true. Attempting to change someone into something you find acceptable isn't really love. On the other side of that, though, changing someone so the relationship would work can still be a sign of love. If you find out your boy/girlfriend is a murderer, you'd probably want to change them so they'd stop killing off your friends. And I think that's still love. I think if you change certain _aspects _of a person, it's still love. If you try and change them 100% to be completely different, then you should just try and find someone more suitable. But I do agree with Zexion thinking that he would be someone different with _aspects_ of his old self. People are constantly changing into something different for various reasons.  
Part of what I really like about this story, actually, is that I'm able to really play with everyone's perspective and show the readers how everyone sees right and wrong and how they justify things. It's fun to write.

**Dan-Dan x: **I'm going to have to start compensating people for advertising for me. I think Roxas making fun of Axel's dyslexia was a little justified, but over the top, you know? Especially because Axel is so sensitive about it. I actually don't mind Kairi! I'm not sure why, but a LOT of people really, really don't like her. I agree that in the game, they made her out to be this really annoying, helpless damsel and that's… stupid, but I think her personality is fine. To be honest, I think some people don't like Kairi because, even though she isn't real, she's a female with two male best friends. And I'm noticing more and more that other girls are super threatened by girls whose friends are mostly boys. But, who knows? I'm probably looking way too deeply into this.  
You're right – I don't just add shit in to the story for fun. I do have a reason for the majority of the scenes in this story and in _Axel's Fables_. I also do pace the relationships because it doesn't work out as well if two people get together too quickly. It's very unrealistic. I mean, it DOES happen in real life, but those relationships tend to also end very quickly too. This story is a little too slowly paced so I'm trying to speed it up. But… I don't wanna rush it either.  
Thanks. I really appreciate it. I try and make the characters as realistic as possible.

**18plusForMe: **Hahahaha, well said, dear reader.

**sakuraXdrops: **Hahaha, thanks for the honesty. Actually, a LOT of people think this story is stupid based on the summary and they think it would never work. I could definitely see that, but I think I made it work okay.

**CoconutMigration: **They'll apologize soon! All couples fight and eventually all will be hunky-dory.

**Tie-Me-Up-With-Jackets: **I love writing Zexion as sassy and snarky. He's really smart and I like writing all his little sarcastic remarks. I'm glad he's not OOC. That was one of my biggest concerns for this story. I HATE OOCness and I try to keep it to a minimum (because it's pretty damn difficult to keep people IC all the time, especially when you're removing them from their normal environment).  
I'm able to get that many words because of subplots and because I move my stories very slowly. However, you'll notice that my stories will normally only have 10-14 chapters. I see a shitload of stories on ffnet that are on like… chapter 48 and I'm like, "What the fuck?" I can drag a chapter out to 9-10k words, but drawing out a story to nearly 50 chapters? It's too hard for me. But… Yea. I just try and keep the pace slow and I try and have subplots as "filler" that end up essential to the story later on. If you write out a small plotline before you begin writing and if you have a solid ending and beginning in mind, the story sort of writes itself.  
Someone wanted to marry my style of writing once, but it's never made anyone orgasm as far as I know. You're the first and I think that means that my style is slowly getting better (and stickier). I'm glad you like this story so much and I appreciate you reviewing. I hope you managed to get some decent sleep after reading this giant lump of words.

**XeanChan: **Aww, that's a good way to put it! Yea, eventually he'll come around!

**BRP: **Haha, thanks. It'll work out!


	7. Justification

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **There's quite a few (pop?) culture references in this chapter. Also, I was surprised I was able to get this out before Thanksgiving. Um… Not much to say this time around, actually. Normally I can't shut the fuck up.

The new Axel/Roxas story will probably surface sometime around the middle of December. The end of school means lots of tests and schoolwork, but as soon as exams are over (Dec. 14th!), both my jobs end too (the college closes for break) so I'll, hopefully, have a few weeks of total freedom.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 6: **Justification

"**If you could** describe yourself in five words, what would they be?"

Zexion opened his eyes and jumped slightly when he saw the face of his conscience staring intently at him. "Mm… What time is it?" he grumbled as he turned over and reached for his cell phone that sat on the bedside table. An audible sigh escaped his lips when he saw it was around four in the morning. Zexion often got up early, but four AM was much _too_ early especially on a weekend.

"I don't know," he said groggily. "Why are you even awake?"

The blond frowned. He sat on top of the blanket and sheets with his legs crossed. "I don't know. I just… woke up and can't sleep anymore."

The bookworm sighed again and turned over to face Demyx. "Well… Try." He closed his eyes and felt his eyebrow twitch slightly when the blond continued talking.

"I did. I've been awake since three."

"Okay…" Zexion sat up reluctantly and ran a hand through his mess of hair. It was useless to argue or tell his conscience to go find something better to do. He had learned that Demyx, who seemed to be completely unable to be quiet, enjoyed doing things that were loud. Like turning on the television to some action movie abundant with explosions and gunfire and screaming. Or walking in and out of the apartment, mistakenly (or maybe on purpose, Zexion didn't know) slamming the door behind himself.

They had been sleeping in the same bed for maybe a week (if that) and it seemed the blond was quite prone to random bouts of vicious insomnia.

"So… Five words," Demyx reiterated. "Describe yourself."

"Sleepy, annoyed, intelligent, short, moody."

The blonde raised a brow. "And that's how you would describe yourself all the time?"

Zexion rubbed his eyes sleepily. "How about you describe yourself in five words?"

"Um… Okay… Happy?" He stated unsurely. "Yea, happy. Uh… sweet, good-natured, funny, um… handsome."

Zexion snorted.

Demyx looked incredulous. "I'm handsome!"

"I wasn't snorting at that. How can you not know if you're happy?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it. He had never really thought it, he supposed. Demyx liked abstract thought to a point, but when it came to difficult topics such as "happiness," he often became somewhat lost. How could he be sure if he was happy or not? Most days he felt decent; normal, he supposed. But some days he knew it would be apt to say he was unhappy.

"Well…" He paused. "The majority of the time, I'm happy, I guess."

Zexion gave him a look. "Jesus Christ. Aren't you supposed to be teaching _me_ how to be happy?"

Demyx made a face. "I…" His words died in his throat and he lied down on the bed. He turned over on his side, his back to Zexion, and sighed softly. He didn't like nighttime so much. It gave him too much time to think about things he should be doing and it gave him time to think about all the people he was hurting or letting down. And it gave him time to think about Zexion and how much he was beginning to like the other and how hard things were becoming.

Demyx didn't mean to develop a crush. For him, crushes were rare occurrences because he believed in a 'one-true-love' theory that he did not waver on. And now there was another push-and-pull situation in which his heart wanted him to do one thing and his brain wanted him to do something different.

"Conscience?" Zexion asked unsurely. "Are you upset?"

"No…" he mumbled. "I don't know." There was a momentary pause and then Demyx, quite unsurely, muttered, "How would you describe me?"

He hoped Zexion wouldn't notice this was a thinly veiled, "What do you think of me?" question.

"Hm…" He crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap. "Annoying," he began. "But sweet and well-intentioned. And because you're also a little vulnerable, I'll say you're handsome too."

Demyx sat up and made his way over to the other. "Damn right I'm handsome," he teased. "But I'm not vulnerable."

"Yea you are," Zexion argued. "You just hide it behind your annoying, well-intentioned actions."

"Well I'll be…" The blond smiled. "Look who's learning to read people and see their insides." He paused. "Um… You know what I mean."

He shrugged slightly and didn't bother to remark that he had learned to read _Demyx_, not _people_. If he was put to some sort of test, he knew he would fail.

"How would you describe me?" Zexion asked, trying his best to seem as nonchalant as possible.

"Well… Unhappy, frustrated, unfriendly, difficult, and a trouble-maker. But," Demyx said quickly when he saw the look on the other's face. "But I also think you're really, really smart, witty, maybe a little adorable, gentle, and you can be sensitive."

Zexion let the words settle into his brain and then he arched a brow. "A little adorable? You've been downgraded from 'handsome' to 'average.'"

The blonde gave the other a look. "Well, you just went from adorable to cute."

"And now you're falling below average."

"I am _not_ below average!" Demyx hopped off the other's bed and indicated his long, lean body. "I have the body of a swimmer. Do you see this?" He was dressed in nothing but his boxers (despite Zexion's many protests that he sleep with _more_ clothes since they were sleeping together) and the shorter boy was grateful it was dark in the room. His conscience wouldn't be able to see the blush on his cheeks.

"I'm like a…" Demyx paused. "Eight, on a one-to-ten scale."

Zexion snorted. "If you're an eight then I'm a ten."

The blond pouted. "You're like a four."

"Fuck you, I'm a four!" He threw the covers off himself and slipped out of bed. Normally, he slept in his boxers too, but he had opted to put on a shirt ever since he and his conscience had begun sharing a bed. He was polite like that. Or afraid. He was still out to lunch on that decision.

"You're not a ten," Demyx teased. In his book Zexion was like a fifty, but the bookworm didn't need to know that.

"What's a ten, then? Xigbar?" the shorter boy asked incredulously.

"Ew, no." A blush crossed his cheeks and he looked away sheepishly. "I… I mean, he's… He's not bad looking or nothing, just –"

"You think Xigbar's ugly."

"I didn't say that!" Demyx said much more loudly than he meant. "I just… He's not my type. And… and besides, what's a ten in your book? Vexen?"

Zexion looked quite annoyed by the mention of the other's name. "No," he grumbled unhappily. "Vexen is… He's like…" He paused and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't know where to place Vexen because, at some point, he had been attracted to the older man. But now he just… He wasn't. There was little Zexion found physically appealing about the other. "I don't know."

Demyx kept his grin to a minimum. "So… He's like a three."

"He's higher than you," Zexion said coldly.

Demyx felt all the heat in his body rush to his cheeks. "I am not a three!"

"You certainly are sensitive about this," he pointed out.

"Don't… psycho-analyze me," the blond grumbled moodily.

Zexion shook his head, the smallest of smiles on his face. "It seems I've found Conscience's insecurity."

"I'm not insecure about my looks," Demyx argued, though he knew that, to some extent, he was quite self-doubting. He never thought himself to be ugly, but he was taller than he should have been and his frame was small so he had never been able to build bulk muscle like he saw bodybuilders and football players do.

That was one of the reason he began swimming. He had to be lean, not bulky.

"Sure," the bookworm responded disbelievingly.

Demyx looked rather disgruntled by their whole conversation and he looked down at his feet. "Well, so what? Maybe I am insecure about my looks, sometimes, but it doesn't define who I am."

Zexion walked over to his bedroom door and indicated for the taller boy to follow. "Then what does define you?" he asked as he made his way into the kitchen.

The blond took a seat on the countertop and shrugged. "You do," he offered. "We're… part of each other. So, what defines us?"

"Ooh, back to the whole 'conscience' charade," he grumbled somewhat hatefully. "Intelligence defines…" He paused. "Well, it defines me. I'm not sure –" He saw the look on Demyx's face and sheepishly looked away. "Intelligence defines us," he stated flatly.

"Does it? Or is that just an aspect of you?"

Zexion began to paw around in one of his cabinets for a glass, looking for one that appeared to be the cleanest. "I don't know. All aspects of me define who I am."

"Are you sure?"

The bookworm paused and his shoulders sagged somewhat. "I don't know, Demyx. It's almost five in the morning and you're looking for some kind of philosophical…. What, debate? Reasoning? I don't know what defines me because I don't know who I am." He felt somewhat uncomfortable admitting that to the other and he quickly followed it up with, "Let's talk about something else."

Silence passed between them as Zexion filled up a glass with water from a filter he kept in the fridge. They occasionally caught each other's eye, but they both seemed to be embarrassed. Demyx was currently mired in his own self-doubt about his physical attributes and Zexion was rather indignant that he had just shared something so personal with someone he barely knew.

"Do you always listen to rap?"

Zexion's eyes narrowed. "Have you been going through my iPod?"

"No," Demyx answered honestly. "I just… Heard Eminem through your headphones one day on the bus."

"… Eavesdropper."

The blond smiled a little. "Well? Do you always listen to rap?"

Zexion was much too embarrassed to admit that the majority of songs on his iPod were, indeed, some form of hip-hop or rap. He didn't understand why he was drawn to the, usually ridiculous, rhythms in rap songs, but he always figured it had something to do with the fact that rap music was rarely about killing oneself or mourning some sort of lost relationship. Rap songs were usually about killing other people, hating other people, and generally laying the smack down on those who lacked sufficient intelligence.

Sometimes they were about using others for selfish purposes. And Zexion liked these songs for their content because it made him feel a little less alone. His behavior could be, in some very distorted way, justified based on these songs.

"What do you listen to?" Zexion asked as he placed his now empty glass in the sink.

Demyx thought this over for a moment and then sort of shrugged. He liked softer music, he supposed. He liked songs that sounded melancholy or sad and though he would listen to anything once, he found he didn't much care for harder music. He also liked dance music and was a fan of most songs that had some sort of electronic feel to them.

"I like… Break-up songs, I guess. I like songs about missing people and songs about nostalgia." He shrugged.

Zexion didn't mention how _strange_ it was for his conscience to have a preference in music, but he was enjoying their conversation and didn't want to break it up with his doubting thoughts about who Demyx actually was. He would never admit he was restraining himself or that he liked that they talked so smoothly with one another.

"Don't they make you sad?"

Demyx shrugged. "No. I've never been in a relationship and I think the songs just don't… hold as much meaning for me, I guess. You know?"

"I suppose," he mumbled. There was a pause between them before Zexion glanced up at Demyx and asked, "Do you want to go back to bed?"

••••••••••••••

"**I heard something **interesting."

Roxas was alphabetizing some records and ignored the girl who stood at the check-out counter. He ignored customers because he didn't really like to help people who came into the record store. More often than not, they wanted help finding something and Roxas hated having to point out sixteen times that things were alphabetized and if one knew the English alphabet, they should be more than capable of finding what they needed. He also disliked the younger crowd that often came in, asking about Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber albums.

It was a _record_ store. They sold _records_. Roxas didn't understand why that was so damn hard to grasp and he also didn't understand why people were usually surprised when he said things like, "Miley Cyrus hasn't put out a record. She puts out CDs."

People usually didn't know the difference between a record and a CD and Roxas felt this was synonymous to not knowing the difference between a VHS tape and a DVD disc.

"Roxas."

The blond sighed and turned from his work. He was briefly surprised to see Naminé standing at the counter. "Oh. Hey," he said. "Sorry. I, uh… didn't hear you."

She gave him a knowing look. "Sure. So guess what I heard?"

"Uh… Justin Bieber failed the paternity test?"

Naminé stared. "Um… No? Why is Bieber taking a - oh, never mind. Riku kissed someone!"

Despite their being step brothers, Roxas immediately wanted to ask if it was Axel. He restrained himself, however, and tried to look quite indifferent. He didn't want to be a gossipy no-nothing who prattled on endlessly about what his friends had or hadn't done. It wasn't that he disliked gossip (he and Axel frequently engaged in it with pure relish), but he tried to pretend otherwise because he knew how horrible rumors could be.

"Do you wanna know who?" Naminé asked.

Roxas shrugged. "Let me guess. Kairi?"

"Nooooo," she said in a sing-song voice.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "You?"

"Ew, no," she quickly said. "He's not my type."

"Pft," Roxas waved his hand dismissively at her. _Every_ girl thought Riku was drop-dead gorgeous and despite his own dislike of Axel's step brother, even he thought Riku was handsome enough to model. Too bad his personality was about as interesting as a turnip.

"Sora!" Naminé yelled, causing several customers to look over. She blushed lightly and then lowered her voice significantly. "He kissed Sora! On the lips! In front of Kairi!"

Roxas looked incredibly annoyed and he grabbed the front of Naminé's shirt and practically yanked her over the counter. "Are you sure?"

She had a mixed look of delight and fear on her features. "Kairi told me. Unless she's lying, I –"

He released her and removed his work lanyard. His manager, who happened to be walking by, gave him a strange look. "Going somewhere?" she asked.

"This is my sister," he lied. Naminé looked surprised, but then waved sheepishly. "We have a family emergency."

"What's the emergency?" the manager asked suspiciously.

"Uh… Our brother has fallen and can't get up."

Naminé had a look on her face that screamed, 'Really? That was the _best_ thing you could come up with?'

"Nice try. If you leave, you'll be fired."

And then Naminé turned on the waterworks and began to throw a tantrum so vile and terrible, Roxas was briefly ashamed to know her.

"Our brother!" she wailed, "He needs our help! I'm not strong enough to help him! If only our parents hadn't died in that tragic plane crash over the Southern Ocean!"

Roxas blushed. "Nam –"

"How will we ever cope if we lose him?" she continued in a rather thespian manner. "Oh God, Roxas! I can't stand to lose another family member! I can't bear the thought of losing our baby brother just like we lost mom and dad!"

"Okay!" the manager yelled. "Quit making a scene and get out of here!"

Roxas looked surprised. "Right. Uh…" He grasped Naminé's hand. "Let's go… Sis…"

"Thank you!" she yelled happily as they ran out of the record store and down the street.

••••••••••••••

"**You!" Roxas yelled **when he and Naminé had reached Axel and Riku's house. Riku was sitting out front on the steps of the porch, enjoying the cold, sunny day.

"Yes?" He raised his brows and a devious smirk appeared on his lips when he saw Roxas gripping Naminé's hand. "Oh my. How ever will Axel feel about you and Blondie holding hands?"

He immediately dropped her hand and then regretted it because he knew it only proved that he _did_ care if Axel thought he was with someone else. Naminé didn't care either way because she had minimal in interest in Roxas as a love interest because she was pretty sure he was gay. He certainly didn't know she thought that, but she had made their friendship plutonic ever since Kairi had introduced them. Maybe the auburn haired girl was confused about Roxas' orientation, but Naminé wasn't. What with the way he never shut the fuck up about Axel.

It was obvious he loved the guy.

"What the fuck, man?" Roxas growled. "Why are you sending Sora mixed messages? You know he likes you. What are you trying to do to him? You go find yourself a fucking beard to hide the fact that you're gay and then you go and kiss him? Where the fuck is your conscience?"

Riku laughed and then stopped when he realized Roxas wasn't making a reference to Guilty Conscience. He sighed and stretched his arms over his head, looking quite like a cat that was enjoying a long, drawn-out chase of a mouse.

This was true to an extent. Riku really enjoyed ruffling Roxas' feathers.

"Well?" the blond demanded. "Are you _trying_ to mind fuck him?"

A smirk appeared on the older boy's face. "Well, it's about the only fucking he'll get from me."

Blood boiled in his cheeks and his fists clenched. "Leave Sora alone!"

Riku stood up from the porch steps and approached the smaller boy. "Or what, Chris Crocker?"

"Or I'll kick your candy ass into next week!"

Naminé bit her lower lip. "Uh, you guys… This isn't really… This is really Sora's battle and –"

"Shut up!" Roxas roared. Then he paused and turned to face the girl. "Er, sorry… Heat of the moment."

She frowned and decided maybe it would've been better if she kept quiet. She hadn't told Roxas what had happened so he could attempt to kick Riku's ass. In fact, she hadn't known that this would be the blonde's volatile answer to the situation. Naminé had told him because Kairi had told her and she had actually already figured Sora had told his twin about it.

"Look, why don't you and your little girlfriend go away? What happened between Sora and me is our business. Not yours. And besides, you're going to have your own issues to deal with when I tell Axel you're stepping out on him."

Roxas felt his brain melt somewhat. He couldn't think of anything to say because he wanted _so badly_ to insist he wasn't stepping out on the redhead, but he couldn't without outing their relationship. His cheeks heated to an amazing shade of red which was only worsened when Riku smirked in his cocky, spoiled, rich-boy manner.

"What are you trying to do?" Roxas asked, attempting to keep his voice as even as possible. "Why are you messing with my brother?"

"I'm not messing with him," Riku defended. "We were playing around and it just happened. Kairi was okay with it."

"Kairi was okay with it because she knows she's a fucking beard!" the blond roared.

He snorted. "If you say so. I'm done with these allegations. Sora and I are fine. Did you bother to ask him if he was upset over the whole ordeal before you came stomping your way over here in your oh-so-endearing caveman manner?"

He blushed, but it was barely noticeable from all the angry red that was already on his cheeks.

"That's what I thought," Riku chided. "Now beat it. Axel doesn't want you around here and neither do I, so run along back to your lower-class lifestyle and –"

Roxas pounced and their fight lasted all of ten or fifteen seconds before the blond was being forcibly pulled off Riku by a tall, stunning redhead.

••••••••••••••

"**I'm exhausted," Zexion** mumbled. He and Demyx had been unable to sleep and had lied in bed for an hour or so before deciding that it would just be better to get up. However, as the morning passed and the afternoon came, both boys found they were too sleepy to really accomplish anything. They had been lounging on the couch for the last hour or two, Zexion talking mostly about the things he needed to be doing for school.

"Why do you think Mr. Sheffield is so afraid of admitting he loves Fran?"

Zexion looked up at Demyx. "What?"

The blond indicated to the television. "In _The Nanny_. He loves her, but then he spends a lot of his time trying to hide it."

Zexion didn't really watch TV. And when he did, he certainly didn't watch sitcoms about Jewish nannies living in New York. He liked documentaries or shows like _How it's Made_ and he tried very hard to stay away from reality television as best as he possibly could. This included the news. Zexion had renounced most news sources (he usually opted to the read the paper) after he had seen one news channel showing a goat trying to cook breakfast.

That wasn't news. That wasn't news at all.

"No wonder your brain is mush," the shorter boy grumbled sleepily. "You watch crap television." He stretched his body out on the couch and, against his better judgment, laid his head on Demyx's lap.

"_The Nanny_ isn't crap!" he defended as he tried to keep his excitement to a minimum. This was probably the first time Zexion had voluntarily touched Demyx. "Do you want me to turn it off?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter." A yawn escaped his lips.

Demyx leaned forward slightly and grasped the remote. He turned the television off and then tried to place his hands somewhere that weren't on Zexion. The blond had a feeling that the whole touching thing was a one-way street. Zexion could touch him and that was all right, but it probably would be best if he didn't do it back.

"Tell me a story or something." His request sounded more like a demand, but Demyx was too sleepy to really argue about it or correct him.

He thought for a moment and tried to think of stories he knew. But he didn't read books and he didn't really watch movies and he didn't know many fairy or folktales that hadn't been told a hundred different ways in a hundred different cultures.

And so, instead, he began to sing the opening of _The Nanny _theme song. "She was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens, when her boy –"

"Stop. Stop right now," Zexion commanded. He made a move to get up, but Demyx put his hands on the other and then quickly retracted.

"I… Sorry. I'll stop. And I didn't mean to touch you. I –"

"It's fine," he shrugged and repositioned his head on the other's lap. "Tell me a story that has _nothing_ to do with Fran Drescher."

"I don't… really know any stories," Demyx concluded a little dumbly.

But Zexion didn't respond. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be only in a semi-conscious state. Hesitantly, the blond ran his fingers through the other's hair and when he didn't object, Demyx continued. For hair that looked so thick and somewhat foreboding (what with the way it covered half of Zexion's face), it certainly was soft.

"The Atlantic was born today and I'll tell you how," Demyx said. "The clouds above opened up and let it out."

"Sing it," Zexion commanded. He knew the song and he had heard the blond sing just moments before. And he had decided he rather liked the other's voice. He shifted onto his side, his body facing Demyx, and yawned again.

"I was standing on the surface of a perforated sphere when the water filled every hole," he sang softly as he continued to run his hands through the other's thick, lush mane of hair. "And thousands upon thousands made an ocean, making islands were no islands should go. Oh no…"

He wouldn't admit it, but he thought Demyx sounded nice. His voice was soothing and, amazingly, soft. Given that his conscience was somewhat wild and loud, it surprised Zexion to know that he could actually exert some control over his voice. Practice, he assumed. Demyx had had practice singing before.

And though he wanted to bring up _how_ his conscience had had practice singing and where he had _learned_ to sing, he didn't because he was too tired and Demyx was too warm and his voice sounded too nice.

And, for once, Zexion felt like everything would eventually be okay. For once, he felt like he was at peace. Unbeknownst to him, however, Demyx was feeling something much different. A push and pull between his heart and his head and an increasingly loud argument that wouldn't cease no matter how many times he told himself he couldn't crush Zexion.

But as he sat, with his fingers in the other's hair, feeling the warmth of his body, there was a single pervading thought that had resonated in his heart and now lingered somewhere in his brain.

_I need you so much closer._

••••••••••••••

"**Are you insane?"**

Roxas looked none too amused. "Spare me the lecture."

They were in Axel's bedroom and the blond stood, with his arms crossed, near the doorway in some vain hope that he'd be able to make an escape. His fight with Riku hadn't been anything bad (given the short duration), but Axel had been less than impressed by his boyfriend's display of barbarian tactics. If that could even be _called_ tactics.

"I get why you're mad. What he did to Sora was shitty. He doesn't need to mess with his head like that, but you can't go around solving problems with your fists, Roxas, especially not in my family."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Because you're rich?"

Axel cringed. "Actually… Yea."

Embarrassment caused both of them to look away. It wasn't that Roxas and Sora were poor, but they certainly weren't inheriting any kind of empire from their folks. What they had, they had worked for themselves and they didn't usually have excess money to spare. Axel and Riku, however, lived life on top of a cloud and didn't have a need to worry about much of anything. Their future had been, essentially, planned out for them.

"It isn't… It isn't just about money, it's about power and influence. My dad is reeling over your attack on Ri –"

"Attack?" Roxas' voice dripped with derision. "I was on him for like seven seconds, Axel!"

The redhead made a frustrated noise. "Roxas, it doesn't matter. My dad could press charges against you. He could have you thrown in jail over this."

The blonde's jaw was set and he gave his boyfriend a cold, hard look. "And I suppose you're not going to do anything about it?"

Axel looked pained. "No, Rox…" He sighed. "I can only do so much." He took a seat on his bed and put his hand tiredly over his face. "I love you, Roxas. I really do. But you're always causing trouble."

"Me? You're the one always instigating fights! You and Riku both do it! And Sora is too much of a little girl to fight back, but I'm not! I'm not going to let either of you –"

Axel interrupted him, "Sora isn't a girl about it, he's _nice_. And… And does he _want_ you to fight back, Roxy? Or are you just making decisions based on how _you_ feel?"

The blonde's cheeks heated and he opened his mouth, but then closed it. He didn't… He was doing it _for_ Sora. Riku really did treat his brother like crap and Roxas was becoming more and more perturbed by the amount of abuse his brother would take. Axel was right. Sora _was_ nice, but his niceness was causing him to be taken advantage of and walked over. The verbal onslaught against the brunet continued because Sora didn't put his foot down to stop it.

"I know you care about Sora. But I care about Riku and you can't go around trying to beat him up whenever he does something you don't like."

"Oh, okay. Next time I'll just get a group of my friends together and scheme some long, drawn out, diabolical plan to upset Riku's life for six months."

Axel smirked. "See? Now you're thinking outside the box," he stated playfully.

Roxas looked at him coldly. "Right. Because being an indirect prick and actively plotting someone's downfall is so much better than directly stating the problem and attempting to solve it from there."

The redhead stood up. "No, no… We aren't plotting Zexion's downfall. And… And you weren't attempting to solve anything. You just came over and flung yourself at Riku." His patience was wearing thin and all the emotion Axel had been feeling since Roxas had openly ridiculed him about his dyslexia had built up.

It didn't help that Axel's father was threatening to press charges against Roxas and, even worse, he was _insisting_ the blond not come around anymore. Axel's father hated bad publicity and he didn't need, what he called, "white trash" attempting to mire his perfume empire in high school nonsense.

"Whatever, Axel."

The redhead's brow furrowed. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"I'm not!" Roxas yelled. He dropped his arms to his side and his hands balled into tight fists. "There's so much shit I dislike about our relationship and you don't care! All you care about is making sure no one finds out about us and protecting Riku from Sora and me! Riku doesn't need protection! And, by the way, Axel, does Riku _want_ you to fight back or are you just making decisions based on how _you_ feel?" he asked mockingly.

The hair on the back of Axel's neck rose. "Goddamnit, Roxas, I'm not fighting with you about Riku! I'm trying to exhort upon you that you could get in trouble for this! Are you deaf? My dad wants to press charges!"

Roxas felt his blood boil. "Yea, and if he presses charges, you're going to be in a weird position of having to side with someone and I know it won't be me! Because it'll look suspicious, right? Because, holy fucking shit, someone might think that, for a second, you actually give a flying fuck about anyone other than yourself."

Axel's cheeks burned with humiliation and he looked away. "Stop, Roxas. I know you don't mean that."

The blond glared. "You and Riku can go suck a mega-fuck! You two trying to bestow a moral code on Zexion is laughable seeing as how neither of you have morals at all! You guys just do whatever you want and treat anyone however you please because you act like wealth is synonymous with invincibility."

"Stop talking about Zexion! We aren't talking about Zexion!" the redhead suddenly yelled, causing Roxas to jump slightly. "God… Just…" He ran his hands agitatedly through his hair and clenched his jaw. "Just shut the fuck up about Zexion…"

There was a dense silence in the room. Roxas had said a lot, some of it he hadn't meant, but he didn't think making references to Guilty Conscious or mentioning the victim's name would hit a nerve for the tall redhead. He stood awkwardly near the door, his hands in the pockets of his coat, with a mixed look of curiosity and anger.

"You don't have to be with me," Axel concluded gently.

"I never said I didn't want to be," Roxas mumbled.

More silence invaded the empty space and, somewhere downstairs, they could hear Axel's father and Riku's mother arguing over the small skirmish that had just occurred on their front steps not twenty minutes ago.

"I don't know what to say," Axel admitted. "I don't know what you want me to say. I can lie and tell you everything will work out and everything will be okay, but… I'm sorry. I can't… openly be with you. I…"

Roxas shrugged. "I don't really care about that," he stated honestly. "But… But it's like… Sometimes you don't even treat me like an equal."

Axel rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

He blushed.

They were mean to each other. Of course they loved each other and of course they wanted to be together, but they were mean. Neither of them would admit it, but they both took a sizeable amount of joy in making the other person suffer on occasion. Their consciences must've been out to lunch whenever these situations happened to come up.

Sometimes Roxas didn't know what was right or wrong. Unfortunately, Axel was just as lost.

"It's a gray area."

Axel looked up, "What?"

"A gray area. Like…" Roxas paused. "You ever feel like you're yelling or being a total asshole and that it's warranted? Which… somehow makes it okay? Like as long as the other person is being the bigger douchebag, it's okay to be a lesser douchebag in response?"

A little smirk came across Axel's lips because he knew exactly what Roxas was talking about.

After some hesitation, the blond walked over to the bed and took a seat next to his boyfriend. "Why are you… so upset about Zexion?"

The smirk died and was replaced by an unreadable look. "I don't know," he admitted. "… Demyx just gets to me." All his griping about what was right or wrong, what was good and bad, just and unjust, and all of these moral dilemmas he seemed to be facing on a daily basis… If Demyx could easily find something morally objective every day and actually take the time out to assess the implications of making the wrong choice, Axel really felt that _he_ should be facing these same dilemmas.

He often said he was a shitty person, but he didn't believe it. He believed that, while he was mightily faulted, he was intrinsically good. But the frequent texts from a doubting Demyx was making Axel do a double-take on whether or not Guilty Conscious really was the right answer.

"Look, just remember…" Roxas put a hand on Axel's shoulder and squeezed it. "Zexion deserves what he gets."

The redhead didn't really feel the justification made the harassment, the stalking, the breaking and entering, and the eventual betrayal of trust any more warranted.

••••••••••••••

**The day had** faded fluidly into the night and Zexion slowly opened his eyes to find his body pressed tightly against his conscience. Somehow, they had ended up tangled in each other. Their legs were intertwined, Demyx had his arms possessively, protectively, around Zexion, and the bookworm, quite embarrassed, retracted his hand from where it had rested on the other's cheek. He wanted to move, but the inviting warmth of the taller boy was giving him pause.

It wasn't that it was _Demyx_ that was holding him. It was that he was being _held_. Vexen, to really no shock, wasn't one to cuddle and Zexion certainly wasn't going to admit that he enjoyed the activity lest he be met with derisive laughter and a hand tousling his hair. Once he had confided in Vexen that he would like it very much if perhaps they could hold hands every now and then.

Vexen had made it his mission to point out how stupid that was.

Zexion tried to shake the name from his mind and he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before reopening them. Part of him had hoped that, when he opened his eyes again, he'd be somewhere else. He'd _be_ someone else with different memories, a different language, and different, happier thoughts. He was beginning to grow exhausted from the cumbersome, meddlesome, time-wasting feelings that pervaded his sensitive mind.

He felt _bad_ for being like this with Demyx. He felt like he was, somehow, betraying Vexen. And despite their past transgressions, he would never want to hurt the older man. Not on purpose, anyway.

Against what he knew was his better judgment, he tried to slip himself from Demyx's grasp without waking him up. He began to pull back from the other, trying his best to slide silently away, but the blonde's grip suddenly tightened and Zexion was crushed against his conscience's chest.

Annoyance crossed his features and he worked his hands free and tried to push himself away from the other.

"I'm like a Chinese finger trap. The more you struggle, the tighter my hold becomes."

Zexion froze and then he sighed and relaxed. "I need personal space."

Demyx opened his eyes and smirked. "I think you mean, 'Would you, dearest sir, kindly let me up so that I may enjoy the endless boundary of –'"

"I have to pee."

The blond untangled himself from the other and Zexion slipped off the couch and stood. His body was stiff and sore and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I lied. You're terrible at what you do."

Demyx blushed and sat up on the couch. "You caught me when I just woke up. Gimmie a break…"

"I'm grading you in my mind, you know."

He seemed amused by this information. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," Zexion said pointedly.

"What's got your panties in a bunch, Zex?" Demyx asked as he stood up and stretched his body. He bent and straightened his right arm a few times. His elbow was stiff from holding the other while they slept.

"I'm just… not comfortable with this. You're too close."

Jokingly, the taller of the two took two large steps away from the other. "Better?"

Zexion's lips didn't even twitch. He was back to being serious business. Thoughts about Vexen, about how stupid he was being for trusting Demyx and getting close to him, made him feel tense. It made him feel like an imbecile because he knew, at some point, things would come crashing down and the blond would reveal himself as someone who was just there to…

Play a part.

"Why are you upset?" Demyx asked gently. He walked back over to the other and reached out to take his arm, but Zexion retracted almost violently.

"I… I'm not upset." He shook his head. "I need to go."

The blond was surprised and distressed by the other's actions. "Zexion, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so close to you. We just fell asleep and –"

"No, Demyx, I'm not stupid. I… I know it wasn't on purpose. Can you just… I need to be alone."  
He walked over to the door to his apartment and pulled his shoes on. He grabbed his coat off the coat hanger and walked out the door without bothering to put it on.

And Demyx stood there awkwardly feeling like the most horrible monster to ever exist.

••••••••••••••

"**You know your **father isn't a bigot, don't you, Axel?"

The redhead had a sinking feeling that he wasn't going to enjoy what the rest of this conversation was going to be like. He shrugged his shoulders, mumbled, "Yea, Dad, I guess…" and tried to look away. His father had, thanks to Riku, decided not to press charges. Riku had insisted it was just a small misunderstanding and that Roxas' anger at him had been warranted.

Justification was so… malleable. It was so easy to manipulate.

"Well, I heard about Riku and him kissing uh… you know…" He shifted uncomfortably. "The… the boy."

Axel raised a single brow. "Sora?"

"Yes. That one. And as I said before, Axel, your father isn't a bigot. He just… thinks it would be better if a… homosexual wasn't leading Un Monde Parfait. Now, I'm telling you this in strict confidence. You, solely, will inherit Un Monde Parfait one day. I know I can count on you to keep the misdemeanors to a minimum and I know you won't mind finding a woman to spit out a few heirs of your own." His father chuckled and failed to notice the look on his son's face.

"Uh, Dad, look, Riku isn't ga–"

"I know you and Riku are very close, but let's be honest. You are my blood. And I find it hard to believe Riku isn't a little…" He made an unflattering motion with his hands that caused Axel to look away. "I don't know any straight men who willingly kiss other men. And, Axel, again, I'm not a bigot. It's fine if he's… you know… But it isn't fine for the image I want the company to have."

Axel shifted uncomfortably. "Dad, Riku and I are supposed to both inherit Un Monde Parfait. We –"

His father held up his hand. "I am aware. However, I do not want Riku to have a partnership with you. He will hurt the company with the image he is currently sporting. I know your record isn't exactly clean, but… Well, a small misdemeanor in a tiny criminal record is better than a gay man attempting to rule Un Monde Parfait."

"Yea, Dad…" Axel sighed heavily and looked away. Suddenly, the gravity of the situation was coming to sit heavily on his shoulders. If he was to be the sole heir, it meant he and Roxas could never be. If he was to be the sole heir, it meant betraying Riku. Being the sole heir meant running a successful company with little to no work, but it also meant turning his back on the people he cared about.

The redhead ran a hand through his hair. Of course he knew that, if he came out, his father wouldn't be happy. But he didn't think he'd be written off. Riku hadn't even _come out_ and he was being pretty much written out of the Will. Axel shifted in his chair and knew he needed to, somehow, fix things.

He needed to fix things with Roxas. He needed to figure out a way to be honest with Riku about what was happening without actually telling him. He needed to, somehow, change Guilty Conscience so it wasn't… so devious, because things were really starting to get to Axel.

And he needed to figure out how in the _fuck_ he was going to compensate Demyx for all his hard work, both on Guilty Conscience and in Axel's life.

Demyx may have been a little dumb, but he was one well-intentioned little fuck.

••••••••••••••

"**Steal the notebook**."

Zexion shook his head and hesitated before saying, "I… I can't, Vexen…"

"Why?" the older man questioned. "Betray his trust before he can betray yours. And, besides, I bet if you get a hold of that notebook, you'll find out who's doing this."

Zexion looked away. He had, stupidly, gone over to Vexen's house. After the other hadn't answered when he knocked, the slate haired boy found the spare key in the old Wellington rain boot and unlocked the door, letting himself inside like he and Vexen had never broken up. Of course the older man hadn't minded. When he came out of the shower and saw Zexion helping himself to a beer from the fridge, he simply smiled in his conniving manner and asked what the young man was up to.

"Vex…" Zexion sighed and shifted on the other's couch. "Demyx is… He seems like an honest person and he's definitely well-intentioned. Maybe he's just a pawn in this. He's not very bright and –"

The disgusted look on the other's face shut Zexion up.

"Dear God…" Vexen sighed. "You're _falling_ for him."

"I'm not!" the shorter boy yelled. "I'm not. I just… Goddamnit, Vexen. I can believe that Demyx isn't another shitty, horrible, disappointing human being without loving him. Maybe I just want to give him a chance to show me he isn't… a complete and total player in this revenge plot."

Vexen stared the other down. "He broke into your house and is fiddling with your life. Please explain to me how he _isn't_ just as bad as everyone else."

Zexion felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. "Because he isn't. Because he's trying to help me. God help him, he's trying."

"He's trying to change you!" Vexen yelled, but then quickly regained his composure. "Excuse me… I don't mean to shout, but I'm devastated to see the Zexion I know fade."

His gray eyes became a little wide. Was he fading? Was he shedding his old skin? Was he changing? And was it for the better? His heart raced a little and he had the urge to look at his hands to confirm he was still wholly tangible.

"Not everyone will like you, Zexion. That's just how life works. Trying to morph yourself into something you're not won't make your life better. So… Tell me… You change and you become "better," but then what happens when people are still the same, selfish, egotistical pricks who treat you poorly? So you'll just be another nice person getting walked on? Is that really what you want?"

Zexion looked away and felt the burn of stupidity sink into his stomach. "No…" he mumbled.

"You don't need to be good. You need to be you. Don't you dare let yourself be walked on and told what to do. You act however you please, Zexion."

The shorter of the two didn't point out the irony in Vexen's statement though he felt he should've.

"Listen to me…" The older man reached out and touched Zexion's shoulder. "You are perfect. And if the rest of the world fails to see and appreciate your perfection, that's their problem."

Zexion didn't go home that night.

And Demyx had never felt more heartbroken.

••••••••••••••

"**It has occurred **to me," Vexen began as he pulled a pair of pants over his legs. "That perhaps you falling for Demyx is part of the plan."

Zexion sat up in the other's bed and stared at him with a rather vacant look. He didn't really feel like himself today. He hadn't gone home last night and had largely ignored all of Demyx's frantic texts and calls. Of course he hadn't told the blond where he was, but he assured the other he was safe. He had a feeling Demyx could put things together, though, and figure out that Zexion had gone to Vexen.

It wasn't hard considering the bookworm only really knew one person, aside from Demyx, who tolerated his existence.

"Perhaps it was planned, perhaps not, but I believe it would be foolish of you to think Demyx likes you or to believe him to be anything other than a heartless schemer who wishes to fiddle with your life and do you harm."

Zexion shrugged. "I… I don't know, Vex…" He looked away, out the window, and sighed gently.

"Zexy…" Vexen walked over to the other and cupped his face in his hands. "Trust me. Demyx is attempting to gain your trust, but he will betray you. He will hurt you. And you can't fall for him. If you do, my love, you'll only end up hurt."

He didn't know how to explain that he was already hurting and the inability to elucidate his feelings made him feel wholly flawed and stupid.

"Steal the notebook," Vexen stated again. "You need to get him before he can get you."

Zexion didn't know how to tell the other that part of his unhappiness stemmed from the fact that he _always_ walked around trying to screw people over before they could do it to him. He didn't know how to say no. He didn't know how to untangle himself from this mess. He didn't know how to make things right because he didn't know what was right or wrong.

Because what would be right for his relationship with Vexen would be so wrong for his relationship with Demyx.

And the decision of who to betray wasn't something his conscience could help him with.

* * *

**A/N: **Well… There it is, chapter six. Some plot development going on as far as Zexion's relationships with Vexen and Demyx. I'm sort of making Riku a douchebag again and I don't mean to. It's just… so easy to do. But I promise he'll come around and make things right.

Ergh. Again, not much to say. Another update will probably come up sometime in December (hopefully before Christmas). I would like to do another Christmas one-shot this year, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

Thanks again to **Aindel S. Druida** who, as you guys should know by now, beta-edits my stories. Give her profile a look and if you're looking for a beta ask her if she's willing. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: She's got a masterful hold on the English language and she is very insightful and funny.

Hope you guys enjoyed the update. Have a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the ensuing food coma.

**Thank you for reviewing:**

**The Moon's Berserk: **Thanks. I try to make the chapters a mixture of angst and cuteness.

**18plusForMe: **Hah, thanks! I actually dislike the way I write Sora. I think I make him too much of a nice-guy push-over. And Vexen will try to indirectly figure out who Demyx is. He wants Zexion to think he's trying to help him when he's really trying to help only himself.

**Bbb136: **Yea, I liked that line too.

**Dan-Dan x: **Within the next few chapters, a change will start to take place between Sora and Riku. Not a sudden, massive change, but just a… change. A good change, I promise. Zexion is kind of already like, "Shit, I like this guy," but he doesn't want to because he know that, deep down in his heart, Demyx will eventually betray him. And Vexen will indirectly threaten any possibility of Zexion and Demyx working out because, well, it adds a nice bit of drama to the plot.  
I do love writing Axel. He's a very fun character.

**sakuraXdrops: **Yep! It's been six whole chapters (seven now!) so it was time to show that he had changed some. He's slowly changing, but I think the real question is whether or not it will stick.  
A bit awkward, yea. I'm not sure what I'd do if my insist, "I'm straight" friend laid a kiss on me. I'd probably run away too.

**Satski: **Wow, thanks. I really appreciate reviews like these because I really like feedback (it doesn't hurt that it's positive feedback). I like commentary about the story too, but commentary about my writing is nice too.  
I try and have each character have their set of issues or doubts because I feel like it makes them more dynamic. People often don't do things without looking back later and trying to figure out why they did what they did. Now that it's been a couple months, Axel is starting to wonder if what they're doing to Zexion is really warranted. I like to try and make the characters more human-like by having them feel regret or doubt and trying to justify their bad behavior. People are faced with moral dilemmas every day so I think it's important the characters feel these dilemmas too.

**PumpkinLenses: **Hahaha, how optimistic! I wish I could update faster, to be honest. I really do enjoy writing and I'm always upset when I have to stop to go to class or work. And don't worry. The new A/R story will be out soon, I promise. I've been struggling to write the first chapter because I have my plot laid out (with my absolute ending), but the beginning won't come to me.

**Sakurasapprentice7: **I put the subplots in because I know a LOT of people don't like (or just don't read) the Zexion/Demyx pairing. I figured the story would appeal to a larger audience if I added in the subplots between Riku/Sora and Axel/Roxas. Besides, I couldn't write a story without them in it anyway. I'm a sucker for those couplings.  
Zexion is a real douche sometimes, but he's starting to come around. I don't think I ever explicitly stated it like in an Author's Note or anything, but Zexion's past has little to do with why he is the way he is. I know it's anticlimactic, but I didn't want this to be cliché. I didn't want this to be like, "Oh, he was abused so he's mean to people." I mean, don't get me wrong. Everyone's past _does_ mold them a good bit. But there wasn't like some huge trauma I'm planning to unveil. That isn't to say there won't be drama because I promise there will be.

**Mockingjay-lawliet-paramore: **I haaaaate it when people write Zexion like that. I also hate it when he's written as weak. Reading books, have "emo" hair, and being quiet doesn't mean someone is weak. I can't even really see Zexion being bullied (at least not for long) because he doesn't strike me as someone who would put up with that shit.  
Yea, I don't like to rush things. Sometimes things are definitely too slow, but the pace eventually evens out. This chapter had a tiny bit more A/R in it. In the next few chapters, as Axel wrestles with his own moral issues, he and Roxas will features a good bit.

**Poisonapple88: **Thank you. Axel and Riku will grow because I don't want the story to end with people feeling like those two didn't get what they deserved. Axel's actually undergoing his own change now and Riku will be within the next couple chapters if things work out the way I want them to.  
When I get an idea for a story, the first question I ask myself is," What's the moral?" I don't know why I do that because stories don't have to teach a lesson, but… For whatever reason, the plot or idea won't take off if I can't think of _what_ the story is attempting to press upon people. I guess I want readers to take something away from the story. I want to stimulate their minds. I want them to think.

**MentalHopscotch: **Wow, thank you! I was worried about this idea because I didn't know if I could execute it correctly. The main problem was Zexion is definitely too smart to fall for Demyx's trick, so I just solved the problem by stating that he never really does fall for the trick. Because, you know, the story isn't really about the trick and whether or not it works.  
Thank my beta for the lack of errors. I do tend to have more errors when she doesn't proofread for me, but I do try my best to catch any huge mistakes.

**Iced Perfection: **I think of that song, "Lovers of Loving Love" by the Aquabats whenever I hear "cherry chapstick." The lead singer says like, "It's so hip to give you a kiss and taste cherry chapstick." But the song itself is incredibly annoying. I don't much care for Katy Perry either. Her songs are kind of… dumb.  
Yeeeeesssssss. That makes me so happy to hear. I try really, really, really hard to get people to ask themselves the same questions. I want readers to read this and when they walk away from it to question the moral implications of their own actions. I want them to ask who's right and who's wrong and what that really means. I'm always asking myself if I'm happy because I never really know. You can be happy in that moment, but what _is_ happiness? How do you measure something so intangible and something so personal?

**IchiakiI: **I'm not a fan of roller coasters or rides that have like… drops in them. I don't like feeling my butt go into my stomach. I went to Scarowinds in October and I got stuck on a roller coaster for a half hour with my sister and my British friend. We sang Cee Lo Green's song, "Fuck You," but everyone else wanted to sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."  
I don't have Tumblr. This is actually the only social networking-esque account I have. I used to play on neopets, but I don't anymore (sometimes I occasionally log in still to feed my dying pet). I try to stay away from social networking as much as possible because I hate stumbling upon profiles that I don't want to know about. Like ex-boyfriends or people I don't like. It's the worst.

**PariahHomunculus: **I sorry. At least this chapter came out relatively quick!

**BRP: **Hooray! I'm glad I got this chapter out relatively fast. In a perfect world, there would be an update every two weeks. Unfortunately, my world is filled with school, work, and tons of obligations so updates happen like once a month. Which sucks ass.

**Wolf Ness: **I know what you mean. Updates slow down really bad for me when shit is going on in my life. I think Vexen's company doesn't really do it for Zexion anymore because Zexion doesn't really have feelings for Vexen so their interactions can be… a little awkward sometimes. It's hard being friends with someone you dated, especially if that person is the only person you've dated.  
Riku is sly. But eventually Sora will get back at him.

**Metamorcy: **I hope this chapter was as good as the last!

**dixonTICONDEROGA pencils: **My mother has become more attached to pens recently. I don't really like either because I'm life handed so everything just sort of smears and looks like shit when I'm done writing, you know?  
Oh, I know. I don't think Sora is helpless, though. I mean, he does get written that way a LOT, but think about his adventures in _KH_. He wasn't helpless. At all. And he was more than willing to kick Riku's ass for being a total douchebag. I know I write Sora as helpless and I'm trying not to because it just isn't him. And you're right, the Sora/Riku coupling would be more interesting if people wrote Sora the way he should be written (nice, but doesn't put up with shit).  
I don't write an idea out if I don't have a solid ending. The process goes: I get an idea, I ask myself which characters I should use, I then go, "What's the moral?", and then I make-up an ending that doesn't change. I like to keep the plot a little loose, but I like to have the ending completely thought out so I don't have to worry about parts of the plot not adding up later when I go to write my ending.  
I do wing things though. Academic papers, I usually wing. Which is why I have grades that are, at best, C's and B's. And it's okay. I suck at taking compliments, especially if they're about my looks. I'm not good looking. I'm _interesting_ to look at. Which is just a polite way of saying I'm ugly as fuck.

**WindRush: **Thanks. I really do put a lot of effort in these stories and it's nice to know it pays off. I like to switch the position of characters. If I know they're normally written one way, I try to write them differently. Because, honestly, all fanfiction eventually just bleeds together. You need something to kind of make yourself stick out a bit. And yea, I added the Axel/Roxas in there because I know they are a favorite amongst many people. I couldn't not have them in the story, you know? It would be wrong.

**Miggery: **No worries! There will be a new Axel/Roxas story probably surfacing in December (earlier would be nice, but I have an academic paper to write first). And thanks. I really appreciate that. I have thought about publishing, but I don't think I'm really cut out for it. I will admit that I do think I'm a good writer, but I don't think I'm good enough to be published. If I try it one day and do managed to get somewhere with it, I'll mail you a signed copy of my first novel.

**Sana-chan9: **I'm not worried about it! But I was actually worried about you because you always review! That's why I PM'd you. Promise I'm not some weird stalker who saw you didn't review and decided to hunt you down. I just was like, "Wait… Sana-chan didn't review? WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HER?" That was seriously how the thought process went. And balls to being sick, man.  
I wear cherry chapstick so… Sora does too. I have a mint chap stick, but it makes me lips look pale. And this sounds super-duper gay, but I like the cherry chapstick because it makes my lips look nice and red.  
Um… Javier Calvo?  
Yes! I did turn 20 on Oct. 24th. But I changed it like… a week later. Kept forgetting I got a year older. For my birthday, I worked both my jobs and went to class. Tried to get my British friend to do something, but my birthday was on a Monday and by the time I left work, pretty much all places in my city were closed. Fuck Mondays.  
Yea, I think Axel and Roxas would be so tragically bored if they weren't messing with each other's feelings. And no, no, no – Vexen and Xigbar are not at all in their 20s. They look way too old. Xigbar is probably younger than 40 but he looks older because of the scarring. And Vexen is probably somewhere in his late 30s. At least in this story. I don't know how old they're supposed to be in _KH_, but I don't think _KH _specifies ages except in the first game. But who knows?


	8. Deception in Two Parts: I

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **This is late. The holidays kept me busy, but in reality I thought I had updated this on the 20th of December, NOT the 20th of November. So I was thinking I had more time. Now I realize it's been a month and a half and that's… displeasing to me. I hate it when chapters are late.

On the upside, there's a nice little Axel/Roxas lime at the end of this chapter. So… Belated happy holidays or whatever.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 7: **Deception in Two Parts: I

**Axel was uncomfortable. **It was an unusual feeling for the redhead, a feeling he didn't much care for, and as he paced the length of his father's study with his hands clasped behind his back, he tried to think of how to tell Riku about their father's less than caring plan for Un Monde Parfait. For years, the plan was for him and Riku to inherit the empire. There had never been any discussion of who would get more or who would be in charge or who would do what. They were partners. They had always been partners in all their endeavors.

And Axel was suddenly feeling very alone.

Over the course of the previous night, Axel had made the executive decision that telling Riku would be the right thing to do. Unfortunately, this unsettled the redhead because he was faced with the question of what was _actually_ right and what was _actually_ wrong. Telling Riku about his father's betrayal would be good for Riku, but bad for his father. And not telling Riku would have the opposite effect. An internal debate raged on inside until Axel finally decided that his father was _wrong_ so Axel would have to wrong him to make a right.

Or… something like that.

"We'll make a plan together," Axel mumbled to himself as he continued to pace. "We'll make a plan about how to overthrow my dad and then we'll…" He paused and shook his head. As much as he wanted to believe betraying his father was the correct course of action, he couldn't convince himself.

Axel was discovering that he, quite unfortunately, was inherently good.

And it really made him sick. It was really no wonder Demyx walked around talking about how stupid he was all the time. Constantly debating the rights and wrongs of every situation would make one feel stupid. There was no right answer and there was no right choice because situations where _everyone_ could benefit from a certain outcome were rare.

"Axel?"

The redhead's head jerked up and he stopped pacing. He tried to play it cool because he felt like he had just been caught doing something he shouldn't have been doing.

"Uh… Hey."

Riku leaned against the doorframe of their father's study and yawned. "Did you sleep last night?"

Axel checked the clock on the wall and cringed when he saw it was seven in the morning. "Uh… No. Lot on my mind."

Riku gave his step brother a look and there was a pause between them. Axel swallowed thickly and Riku, who always seemed to know everything, leaned off the doorway and stretched his arms above his head.

"Well… You wanna get some breakfast or something before class?"

Axel swore. He had little desire to go to class and he had completely forgotten that they weren't on winter break yet. This was their last week of classes before exams and he was really feeling much too stressed to worry about studying for history or… whatever he had signed up for.

"No."

Riku arched a single brow. "What's up with you? Roxas break things off?" A smirk graced his lips and Axel rolled his eyes.

"This is serious, Ri."

"I don't disagree. Relationships are serious business."

"I'm not dating Roxas," Axel snapped. He really wasn't in any mood to talk about his and the blonde's complicated relationship. "Look, Dad told me –"

"Yea, yea, yea, I know how Dad feels about the gays. Your secret is safe with me."

There was a pause and Axel narrowed his jade colored eyes. "Riku, quit joking around. Dad told me something really important yesterday and I need to talk to you about it.

"What?" he asked with mild interest. "What's got your panties in such a bunch?"

Axel opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sharp ringing of Riku's phone. The boy fished around in the pocket of his pajama pants and pulled out his cell. His eyes scanned the text message briefly before he smirked and tossed the phone to Axel who fumbled for a moment, but then caught it.

_Zexion never came home. Should I call the police? What if he's dead? He was with Vexen and, you know, that guy is NOT good for him. I can tell. He's like five times Zexion's age and, you know, I think Zexion was there. Maybe Vexen MURDERED him! What if Vexen murdered h–_

The message stopped and then Riku's phone made another sharp ring as a second message came in.

_Sorry. Accidentally hit send. I have hot dog fingers. Also, Axel isn't answering his phone and I'm stuck on what to do now. So… Maybe if you could show him this message or… tell me what to do… Thanks._

Axel sighed deeply and decided that maybe Demyx really _was_ just stupid. He made a move to toss Riku's phone back to him, but then stopped when another message came in.

_Oh. And this is Demyx, by the way._

The redhead stared at the message for a moment, shook his head, and then tossed the phone back to his step brother. "Demy needs psychological help," Axel joked.

Riku laughed as he read the second and third messages. "How did this guy graduate high school? It's no wonder he ran away from New York. He's got no skills."

Axel made a face. "He's well-intentioned and… He's good at cleaning pools."

"Oh, wow, real life skills." Riku rolled his eyes. "He's got nothing, Ax. He's just some sap with the misplaced notion that good intentions can change the world."

The taller of the two shifted uncomfortably and he tried his best not to look too offended, too guilty, too… anything. "Well… Why couldn't they? If everyone listened to their conscience –"

Riku laughed. Axel felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle because he had the distinct feeling he was being laughed _at_.

"That's naïve. You've been listening to Demyx. All he's got is fortune cookie bullshit spewing out of his mouth. He doesn't know anything. And the only reason he's got good intentions, or whatever, is because he's stupid. Ignorance is bliss. It's easy to be happy-go-lucky and spouting out shit advice when you don't realize the world is being blown up around you."

Axel felt his jaw set and he shook his head. "Why can't he just be a good person?"

Riku snorted. "Because good people don't exist."

Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "We're good people!"

And the derisive laughter began again. Axel felt his cheeks heat slightly and he tried to look away from Riku in hopes his brother wouldn't see the small blush that had just colored his features.

"We're tinkering with Zexion's life for no real reason other than that he's an asshole. And you know what? He's pretty damn bad, but I bet he isn't the worst. I mean, come on, Ax, we're lying to Dad about this, we invaded Zexion's privacy by digging up all sorts of personal shit, and when Demyx eventually fails, he's gonna walk away empty handed."

Axel's brow furrowed. "Demyx…" He tried to gather his thoughts. He hated the assertion that everyone in the known world was bad and he hated even more that Riku seemed to think this was okay. "What if he doesn't fail?"

Riku looked delighted by this question. "So… He walks away empty handed."

Again, Axel felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle and he gave his brother a hard, unforgiving look. "But we promised –"

"We don't have that kind of authority. Maybe you've forgotten, but we haven't inherited anything yet. I'm not going to fuck up my chance at being incredibly wealthy for the rest of my life just so I can keep my promise to some nobody."

A mixture of guilt and anger washed over the redhead and he was disgusted with what Riku wanted to do. "But we told him we would finance his music shop. He only agreed to do this because he wants to make his dad proud."

Amusement was plastered on Riku's features and he shrugged. "So? Who cares? I want things too, but wishes, hopes, dreams, and wants are useless. They don't help the progression of anything. It's like having a plan to one day open a bookstore. It's a _plan_, but it doesn't actually push anything forward."

Axel tried to keep his disgust and displeasure with the situation to a minimum. "What the hell, Ri? Demyx may not be somebody important, but he's still a human being. He's got feelings and shit. He's bending over backwards for us and we're just supposed to give him the finger when the time for payment comes?"

Riku rolled his eyes. "_If_ the time for payment comes. You're acting like you _know_ Demyx isn't going to fail. He's gotten lucky, but don't hold your breath. It's been two months, Axel, and Zexion seems exactly the same."

Frustrated, Axel stormed past his brother, purposefully shouldering him as he walked out of their father's study. He walked through the living room and then up the steps, retreating into his bedroom and locking the door behind himself in case Riku tried to continue their debate.

The decision to tell him about their father's plan left Axel, and the redhead was left with the sole thought that Riku was _just_ as bad as their father.

They had all this money, more than any one of them could ever use in a single lifetime, and yet there was a lack of charity. There was a lack of understanding, open-mindedness, and generosity and, instead, there was betrayal and deceit.

Axel had never been more disgusted with himself or with his family in his life.

••••••••••••••

"**So…"**

Zexion jumped slightly and tried to combat the heat that suddenly began to creep up his neck. He paused briefly in his work, but then he regained his composure and continued to sort through the pile of books that had been dropped in the library's return box. Many of the books, thanks to his lazy co-workers, had accrued water damage from being left in the outside return box for so long.

"I thought we had a silent agreement in which you agreed to leave me alone while I'm working and I agreed to…" Zexion paused. "Accommodate you."

Demyx gave the other a look. His arms were crossed, his eyes were burning invisible holes in the back of the shorter boy's head, and he tapped his foot somewhat impatiently. A bit of awkward silence passed between them before Zexion sighed and looked over his shoulder at his conscience.

"What?"

Demyx shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me."

"Tell you what?" Zexion snapped. He was exhausted because he had slept at Vexen's the previous night and he was currently attempting to right himself properly because he was wearing the same clothes he had had on yesterday. They were all rumpled and looked bad and he hadn't had the courage to go back to his apartment and face Demyx.

He didn't think his conscience brave enough to show up at his work.

"I was worried about you," Demyx grumbled, trying his best not to whine. "And… I don't know. I just have this feeling that you… Did something bad." He was lying again (guessing was a much friendlier sounding word), but he figured Zexion probably _had_ done something regrettable. His only friend was Vexen and Demyx didn't need a B.S. in anything to know where Zexion went and what he had probably done.

"Demyx, can we please talk later? I'm tired, I have to sort through these books, and –"

"Excuse me, sir, but –"

A vein in Zexion's head throbbed. "No, _excuse me_, ma'am. I'm trying to have a conversation here. Are you deaf?" He snapped at the girl who had walked up to the counter. "No, wait, my apologies. You're just stupid. Please, how can I assist you, Interrupting Irene? Let me guess, you're clueless as to how to find a book? Or, wait, maybe you can't figure out where to find the book drop? Perhaps you would like for me to sit you on my lap and read to you?"

The girl looked appalled.

Zexion was merciless.

"Uh, sorry," Demyx said quickly. He walked up to the counter. "Maybe I can help you? My friend here is just…" He paused and searched for the right words. "A little grumpy. Assumption has it his lower half took a mighty beating from an older man last night, so –"

Zexion dropped the book he was holding and he felt his jaw come together. "My head is going to explode, Demyx, if you do not vacate my line of vision."

The tall blond gave the girl at the counter a knowing look. "Never bottom, Doll. You'll be just like that if you're always _under_ the man."

The bookworm's cheeks erupted into a hundred shades of red and it took mountains of self-control to _not_ throw one of the heavier books at his conscience. "Demyx, I'm really not in the mood –"

"Oh, big surprise!" He snapped. "Zexion's not in the mood!"

The shorter of the two glared. "What is your damage? Why are you so bent out of shape about my not coming home last night?"

"That's not…" Demyx blushed. "That's not why I'm mad!"

Zexion's eyes narrowed. "And Conscience lies again. Ironic."

"I'm not lying!" Demyx shouted. "I'm mad because you… You _slept_ with Vexen! Situations with definitive _rights _and _wrongs_ are rare and when you're presented with one, you make the _wrong _choice!

Zexion was too shocked to respond. A whole symphony of horrors was rushing through his chest because Demyx was screaming about his sex life in the middle of the library. Further, Demyx _knew_ he had slept with Vexen. Zexion certainly was not proud of himself (his irritability sprouted partially from regret for his actions) and it bothered him deeply that _Demyx _was so bothered.

"What I do in private," he growled through gritted teeth, "is _my_ business."

"Not when it's _wrong_!" Demyx yelled, this time throwing his arms in the air for emphasis. "That guy… He… He's so bad for you, Zexion! He thinks you can't change! He wants to hold you back from being a better person!"

"He sees the good in me!" Zexion defended. "He only sees the good so he doesn't see why I should change!"

Demyx looked aghast. "Are… Are you _shitting_ me, Zexion?" He grasped the shorter boy's shoulders and gave him a little shake. "_I _see the good in you! _I _know what a great person you can be! But I also know that you only save the goodness for very few, very select people and I know that that isn't right! Zexion, you'd be so much happier if you'd just stop being so pissed off…"

They stared at each other for a few moments. Demyx wanted very badly to know what was written all over Zexion's face, but the expression was so extremely unreadable that he was pretty sure not even a Ph.D. could have helped him.

"Um…"

Both of them jerked their attention to the girl at the counter.

"I think someone pooped in the book drop outside. It smells really bad."

Demyx began to shake with uncontrollable laughter and Zexion prayed and hoped that the excretion in the book drop wasn't some bizarre, passive aggressive action Demyx had employed to upset him.

••••••••••••••

**Demyx was lazily **flipping through a book entitled _The History of the Sitar _while Zexion sorted not only books, but huge stacks of paper, what appeared to be receipts, and then he began the monotonous task of alphabetizing encyclopedias by placing little stickers on the spines of the books. A-AC, AD-AF, and so on.

"Is this really what you do at work?"

Zexion heaved a heavy sigh. "Yes, Conscience."

Demyx turned a page in his book and then he glanced at the shorter boy from over his shoulder. "How come some days I annoy the hell out of you, but then other days you seem to tolerate me? You know, before you went rogue –"

"_Went rogue_?" Zexion sounded mightily incredulous. "I think what you mean to say is, 'before I went and saw Vexen.' But, don't bother finishing the thought, because I'm going to assure you that I am no different from yesterday."

"Physically, no." Demyx paused and then he playfully added, "Well, I bet your backend is a bit raw, but –"

Zexion slammed an encyclopedia down on the cart he was using to sort books and shot the taller boy a seething look. "What do you want from me?" he snapped. "We've established that I am faulty, that I have a past transgression, but you're acting as if I should be severely punished. You're my conscience. Why don't you explain to me why what I did with Vexen was so awful? I verbally raped that little girl earlier and I have yet to hear your lecture about that."

Demyx blushed and pretended to read something in his book. "Well, I… I mean, I was getting to that, but… You know, one thing at a time…"

Zexion rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You know, Conscience, I'm new to this… _feelings_ _of others_ thing, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous."

The blond made a series of sounds that sounded a lot like blabbering before finally managing a coherent sentence. "It… I'm not jealous. If you and I… did anything, it'd be masturbation. Or… Like masturbation," Demyx reasoned.

The librarian sighed disbelievingly and stacked another encyclopedia onto the cart. "Is this part of the act?" he asked quietly. Vexen's voice echoed somewhere in the back of his mind and Zexion wanted very badly to believe that Demyx didn't have it in him to trick the bookworm into falling for him. At least not for the purposes of a prank.

"What act?" he asked.

"The conscience act. Did the criminal mastermind – and I use the word 'mastermind' very loosely – tell you to make me fall for you? So when this charade comes to an end, I'll be heartbroken?"

Demyx turned away from his book and tried to keep his astounded look to a minimum "When this "charade" ends, you'll be dead."

Zexion's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat, Conscience?"

"No. It's an ultimatum, just like it was before. You change, you don't die. You don't change, you die."

He made a disbelieving noise in his throat and placed a label on the spine of an encyclopedia.

"Vexen is bad for you," Demyx began. "You said you guys had nothing in common. You said he treated you like you were beneath him. You said all you guys did was have sex. He doesn't want you to change. And, you know, I think he's afraid that if you _do_ change, you'll find you deserve better than him."

Zexion looked pointedly away.

"You don't have to believe that. But you do need to realize that Vexen still loves you and… Unless you're planning on being _something_ with him, you can't lead him on."

"I'm not," the bookworm growled. "Who's to say he even wants anything but sex?"

Demyx shrugged. "Are you willing to give him sex?"

Zexion blushed and conceded silently that no, he didn't really want to just let Vexen use his body. He really didn't have any desire to be with Vexen at all. Even after they had broken up, things were essentially still the same. Vexen treating him like a child, making him feel stupid and naïve and unable to make good decisions. Vexen still wanting to sleep with him and then pretend like they had some deep, meaningful relationship. Vexen insisting that he _knew_ Zexion and no one else would ever understand him the way _he_ did.

"You regressed," Demyx mumbled. He slipped the notebook from the waistband of his jeans and flipped it to the last page. "You spent time with Vexen and now you're back at square one. You're snapping at people, you're cranky, and you're unpleasant."

Zexion sighed heavily through his nose and his jaw was clenched. He pretended not to notice Demyx marking down his transgressions and he tried his best to act like he didn't care, like it didn't bother him.

But it _did_ bother him. It bothered him to the point where he wanted _so badly_ to throw a tantrum and insist that he _hadn't _regressed, that he _hadn't_ meant to be the same. He wanted to snatch the notebook out of Demyx's hands and apologize and tell him that he was right. Vexen _was_ bad for him and he _was_ cranky and irritable because he had been spending time with the older man.

Zexion hated emotions.

He hated the way Demyx made him feel.

••••••••••••••

"**That's some heavy **shit, Ax."

"You're so eloquent, Roxy. I don't think I could've accurately described my situation any better."

Roxas rolled his eyes and lied back on Axel's bed. His legs hung off the edge, almost touching the floor, and he stared up at the ceiling, feeling rather grateful that he and Sora didn't have familial problems.

Well… Other than the issue of Roxas constantly butting in on Sora's life.

"I should tell Riku, shouldn't I?"

"Oh God…" Roxas sighed. "Please don't make me your moral compass. Riku is…"

"Oh God…" Axel mocked. "Please don't make me your listener."

The blond propped himself up on his elbows and gave his boyfriend a careful inspection. "You're really bothered by this, aren't you?"

"What can I say?" the redhead responded coolly. "Demyx's circle of good intentions has a thirty mile radius."

Roxas sat up and scooted closer to his boyfriend. He arranged himself neatly in Axel's lap, tucking his head underneath the redhead's chin and breathing deeply of the other's scent. This was a rare moment of comfort. They seemed to always be at ends with each other and the blonde's sudden affection both frightened and intrigued Axel.

He wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and allowed himself to enjoy their physical closeness.

"Why does he want to rip Demyx off?" Axel asked quietly.

Roxas, in another rare moment of calm clarity, offered a bit of sound advice. "Because it's more important to Riku to stay in your father's good graces than to put it all on the line for a stranger. Axel, you and your father are related by blood. You have an edge. Riku has his gold-digging slut of a mom and that's it. He isn't close to your dad."

"So he's driven by greed and self-satisfaction?"

Roxas frowned. "Maybe, but…" He relaxed somewhat in Axel's arms. "I'll deny ever saying this because your brother disgusts me, but I don't think Riku loves himself so much that he'd cheat Demyx like that. I think he's afraid that if your dad writes him off, his mom will too. She's driven by money. And if Riku has no money, I bet his mom wouldn't speak to him anymore."

Axel made a disgruntled noise. "Now I feel bad for not telling him."

Roxas reoriented himself in the redhead's lap and placed a soothing hand on the other's cheek. "Don't feel bad. If you had told Riku, he'd be really upset at your dad. I think it's safe to say he'd feel betrayed. And I think things would crumble in your family really fast if you had."

Axel pressed his forehead to Roxas' own, letting their noses touch, their lips just inches away. He grasped the blonde's free hand and intertwined their fingers. "So what do I do?"

"My services aren't free," he teased.

Axel smirked. "They used to be free before you knew I had money," he teased back.

Their lips met in a very soft, very chaste kiss. Butterflies erupted in Axel's chest and no matter how many times they kissed or touched or became tangled in the other's presence, Axel would always become nervous.

The idea that maybe Roxas was too good for him had crossed his mind. At one point, Axel had figured _he_ was too good for Roxas because his family had money, cars, insurance, housekeeping… But it didn't really come as a surprise when the redhead found himself realizing that money didn't usually breed sophistication.

••••••••••••••

"**He's insecure."**

Kairi raised a brow and nibbled on a potato chip. "_Riku's_ insecure?"

Sora nodded knowingly. "Of course he is. Everyone's been insisting he's gay since he was… I don't know, in the womb?"

She laughed and took a sip from her drink. "He doesn't really do himself any favors by running around kissing boys," she teased.

He blushed lightly and guilty looked away. "Yea… Sorry about that."

Kairi waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay. Lunch helps fill the painful void in my heart," she responded playfully.

Sora smiled at her. He picked up his sandwich and took a large bite out of it, happy that he and Riku's beard were getting along. "You think he's gay too, don't you?" he asked after he had swallowed his mouthful.

"Well…" She smiled somewhat. "Maybe… But, you know, that's okay. It's not like I'm going to go date other guys while I'm with him. I just think we can help each other out. I'm in high school and he's… older and pretty and cool, you know? Also… I'm not ready for sex and I don't think Riku will pressure me."

Sora silently thanked God for all his goodness and glory. He really owed the Big Guy something for this.

"You know you're using him," the brunet chided in a somewhat lighthearted manner.

Kairi thought this over for a moment and then slowly nodded. "Yea, I know. But I look at it like this: if he is gay, he's using me as a cover and so we're both using each other. But if he isn't gay, then maybe we can actually date. It could work out either way."

He would've been bothered by her words if he wasn't secure in Riku's sexual orientation. The kiss had sealed the deal on which team the handsome boy was playing for. Straight guys rarely kissed other straight guys (save for actors and drunken debauchery) and Sora liked to enthrall himself with the idea that Riku secretly had it for him.

"Hey, Kairi?"

"Hm?"

Sora took a sip from his drink. "Don't tell Riku we had this talk, okay? I… I know him pretty well and I know he'd be really, really upset if he knew you thought he was gay."

She nodded her head. "I know. And… I know how you feel about Riku, Sora. I think it's really cool you aren't throwing yourself all over him and trying to force him to come out before he's ready."

The brunet blushed slightly. "Well, I mean… I… He's not really my type…"

Kairi laughed. "He's _everyone's_ type!"

He couldn't really argue with her so he shrugged and let it go. It wasn't really a secret that he liked Riku and Sora had a feeling that Kairi was trustworthy even if she was currently dating his future husband.

"So… Can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Shoot."

"Are Axel and Roxas dating? Naminé thinks they are."

Sora, annoyed that his brother had attacked Riku and was constantly meddling in his life, gave a confident, "Yes."

••••••••••••••

**They were lying **in bed together, a large space between them and their backs turned toward each other. Demyx, unlike Zexion, had trouble figuring out why he was so distressed. Jealousy, he had finally admitted to himself, had something to do with it, but part of him was also… perhaps disappointed that Zexion had regressed. He would stand firm in blaming Vexen for Zexion's sudden bad behavior, but Demyx was fearful that, once the plan was out and Zexion knew the truth, the bookworm would run right back to Vexen and continue to be who he had been before.

A little sigh escaped his lips and he realized he had, up until this point, been expecting some sort of fairytale ending in which Zexion would be upset, but then decide he loved Demyx and he also loved being a better person. He was expecting Zexion to be thrilled that he was finally happy and he was expecting they run his music shop together and live happily ever after.

Demyx liked fairytale endings because reality often sucked.

"Zexion?" he spoke gently. "Zex, are you awake?" The blond rolled over on his side and stared at the other's clothed back.

"Yes," he responded hesitantly. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry."

Intrigued, the bookworm glanced over his shoulder at his conscience. "For what?"

"For… Being hard on you. Maybe it isn't fair to say you regressed. We're all entitled to mistakes." Demyx thought back to the time he had spent in confession and then he added, "But… Apologizing and forgiveness are part of eternal happiness."

Zexion grunted something and then laid still.

Demyx frowned and then sat up. "I care about you. A lot."

An audible sigh escaped his small frame. "Please don't become sentimental."

"What did you say?" the blond teased lightly. "Did you say cry and flail about? Well, if you insist…"

Zexion sat and looked at Demyx with intense, yet weary, gray eyes. "I'm glad you care."

He made a face. "Why so serious?"

"What is it, Conscience? Why are you so distraught?"

"I'm not!" Demyx whined. "I'm not distraught! I just… feel bad and wanna… feel better."

"Why do you feel bad?" Zexion pushed. "I have committed numerous deeds that have not been reputable and yet… I commit a misdemeanor in this moral prison and I feel as if I'm being placed in an empty room, awaiting my lethal injection."

"Well… There ya go. I feel bad because you feel bad."

The shorter boy rubbed tiredly at his face. "I don't understand you."

Without thinking, Demyx stupidly blurted, "Tell me you aren't going to go back to Vexen."

Shock crossed Zexion's features. "I… I don't… Am I supposed to lie to you? I have no idea what I'm going to do or not do. You're supposed to be helping me and instead you're… you're complicating things."

"Lie to me," Demyx said quickly. "I don't care."

His brow furrowed and he stared at the other incredulously. "After all the lessons and the lectures, now you want me to _lie _to you?"

"I hate thinking about you and Vexen together. It's driving me crazy. I was worried about you last night and… and now I know why you hate being in this apartment all by yourself." He paused and waited for Zexion to say something, but he didn't so Demyx just continued. "Vexen is bad for you. He treats you bad. You don't deserve that…"

"How do you know how Vexen treats –"

"Because I just do!" the blond snapped. "You want me help in deciding what you should do? Don't go back to stupid Vexen! He's bad for you!"

"You're becoming hysterical," Zexion responded emotionlessly.

Demyx felt his cheeks heat in a combination of anger and embarrassment. "You're hysterical!" he shouted in retaliation.

Zexion rolled his eyes and lied back down, his back to Demyx. "Just go to sleep, Conscience. The Russians have a saying that goes, 'Mornings are wiser than evenings.'"

The blond pouted and didn't lie down. He stared hatefully at nothing and tried to get rid of the discomfort that sat so solidly in his chest. He had been slapped around quite roughly by fate. He had been well aware that he _liked_ Zexion, but the boy's sudden disappearance to his ex-boyfriend's house forced Demyx to conclude that he liked the other a helluva lot more than he originally thought.

"Zexion…"

"I don't care, Conscience. I'm exhausted and I don't want to talk about Vexen anymore."

Hurt, the blond fell silent and tried to reason that this was karma for what his future actions would be. He ran a hand through his mess of hair and tried not to think about his father, his running away, his inability to apparently do right by anyone but himself. He finally lied down on his back and rubbed at his face, trying to clear his head from all the negativity that pervaded his usually positive existence.

••••••••••••••

"**What do you **expect from old Ice Britches over there?"

Demyx was practically lying on the counter of Xigbar's bar top, looking absolutely distraught. "He was changing, Xig! He was all…. Apologizing and saying please and shit."

Xigbar served the blond another drink and watched him sip at it through the end of a straw. "I can see you feel bad, Kid, and I just want you to know that you've come to the right place. I excel in cheering people up. I know just how to –"

Demyx cut him off. "I'm not looking to do the Bing Bing."

"… A handy J isn't the Bing Bing…" Xigbar half joked.

"No. No handy J's, no riding the deck, no back-to-back five-against-one, no whitewashing the back 40, no polishing knobs, no circle jerks or team creams, no double headers, no wringing the kidneys, and no more being cock-happy. Comprende?"

The older man smirked. "Everything but comprende."

Demyx gave him a wry look.

"Where did you learn all those euphemisms anyway, Kid?"

The blond shrugged. "I don't know. I used to live in New York?"

Xigbar laughed. "Ooh, so Conscience really _isn't_ a Conscience after all."

Demyx opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it and decided it wasn't worth the battle. "I think I can trust you not to tell Zexion."

He arched a single brow. "Only if you polish my knob."

"Xigbar, dear, perhaps you should focus less on feeding your sexual appetite and more on what you could actually be doing with your life if you weren't always busy chasing random, underage tail."

"As if! Maybe you should get your mind out of the gutter, Demy. I meant polishing my door knobs. They're quite dirty."

"I'm so sure that's what you meant," he responded sarcastically.

They made eye contact and Xigbar tried his best to look serious. Unfortunately, Demyx saw right through him and after he finished his drink, he excused himself from the older man's apartment with a small 'thanks for the company.'

Xigbar had never met someone so strange in his life.

••••••••••••••

**He tried his **best to be quiet as he slipped back into Zexion's bed and got underneath the covers. The drinks he had had at Xigbar's had made him feel tired and he liked the prospect of sleep. His mind was, albeit foggy, a little clearer in that it wasn't so weighed down with negative thoughts about his future and about Zexion.

"Have fun at Xigbar's?" the librarian grumbled.

Demyx tensed, but then relaxed and shrugged. "I thought you'd be asleep."

"You kept coming in and out."

The blond rolled his eyes. "I left once and came back once."

Zexion said something disparaging under his breath and Demyx slipped out of bed. He retrieved his notebook from his pants and made a mark in it.

"Seriously?" the shorter of the two growled. He had sat up in bed to see where the blond was going and was less than pleased to see he was just marking Zexion down for being "naughty."

Demyx crawled back into the other's bed and turned his back to him without saying a word.

"So… What? Am I supposed to be all upset you went to Xigbar's? Is that your passive aggressive way of releasing your anger?"

The blond shrugged. "If you say so."

Zexion's cheeks heated to an amazing shade of red. "Fuck you, Demyx."

Again, and this time with a sigh, he slipped from the bed and grabbed the notebook from his pants. He turned to the last page and marked the other for a second time. "You're just going for it, aren't you?"

"Cut the bullshit!" Zexion suddenly yelled. "You're not my conscience! You're some stupid loser who agreed to play some ridiculous prank on me! Do you realize you have nothing better to do with your life than follow _me_ around? Jesus Christ! I'm not even interesting! You're willingly following a cold-hearted, incredibly mean, really boring individual instead of pursuing your own dreams!"

Demyx stared at him and an awkward silence settled comfortably in the room. After a moment, he marked Zexion down again and the bookworm felt metaphorical steam blow out from his ears. His head was liable to explode at any given moment.

"Should we keep going?" Demyx asked coldly.

"God, I fucking hate you, Demyx. I hate you so much."

He hesitated for a moment before closing the notebook without making another mark. "That's fine."

Some of the anger that had been building up inside of Zexion disappeared and he was silent. He watched the blond as he slipped the notebook back into his pants and then crawled into the bed, getting under the covers and turning his back to the other.

"… Why is that fine?"

Demyx shrugged. "I…. don't need you to like me. It would be nice, but I'm here to help you, not be your friend." It pained him deeply to say this. He hated hearing Zexion say he hated him even if he knew, deep down, that it wasn't true.

"Jesus…" Zexion mumbled. He rubbed his hands against his eye sockets. "This charade is killing me."

"Your _idea _that this is a charade is killing you."

The shorter boy didn't say anything. He was upset. He was torn between loyalties. Of course he didn't hate Demyx (even if he was really quite good at making Zexion crazy), but he didn't hate Vexen either and the decision of what to do about the notebook was eating away at him. Only a day had passed since Vexen had insisted that the theft of the notebook was the correct option and the guilt of even entertaining Vexen's idea was giving Zexion palpitations.

Eventually sleep overcame both of them and while Demyx, thanks to a slightly boozy system, slept rather peacefully, Zexion was plagued with a fitful rest. He had dreams. Some made no sense (Billy Goats trying to knock him off a bicycle) and some caused fear to erupt in his chest as he slept. The contents of his dreams weren't what frightened Zexion. It was his inability to move, to scream, to run from danger or warn others of it. It was the utter isolation, the 'aliens attacking the planet' scenario in which his family had disappeared and he was alone.

"Zexion…"

Or when he would flee his kidnappers and run to his neighbor's door and bang on it, begging to be let in, but his neighbor would make the decision to keep him out.

"Zexion…"

Or dreams where he would fall through a bit of frozen ice and his inability to swim was further hindered by frosty waters, slippery ice that he couldn't grip, and being trapped underneath an impassible sheet of ghostly white.

"Zexion!"

He awoke with a start and in the shadows he couldn't make out Demyx's face. There were hands gripping his shoulders, a figure above him that seemed unfamiliar because his brain was still sleeping. Instead of being comforted, terror rushed through him and he screamed.

"Zexion! Stop, stop!" Demyx turned pale white. Terror caused a shiver to overcome him and goose bumps lined his skin. His heart raced and he quelled the other until his screaming stopped. The situation, in retrospect, probably only lasted five or six seconds, but it felt like hours to Demyx and, later, Zexion would agree.

"Why are you screaming?" Demyx asked, exasperated and now also afraid. Zexion looked like he had seen a ghost and his sudden screaming didn't help the blonde's assertion that there was no ghost.

"I… Night terror," he panted. He was sweaty and, without much of a thought, he pulled his shirt off his body and tossed it to the floor. "Are you okay?"

Demyx was shocked by the question and it took him a moment to answer. "I… Terrified now, but… I'm okay. Are you?"

Zexion tried to calm down. His heart was racing wildly and threatening to beat out of his chest. "Yes," he responded gently. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I didn't recognize you. It's dark and I couldn't make out your face."

"It's okay."

Zexion ran a hand through his hair, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Demyx sat awkwardly at his side, staring at him with a strange intensity.

Suddenly, the shorter boy sat up and wrapped his arms gently around Demyx's neck. Their lips met, by Zexion's own decision, and all the terror and fear that had been created by the other's bad dreams suddenly dissipated until only warmth and comfort was left. Zexion pulled back briefly and then kissed the blond again. He tangled a hand in the other's mess of a hairstyle and felt heat tingle in his stomach when Demyx slipped his arms around his waist and pulled him impossibly close.

If anyone were to interview Zexion later and ask him why he did what he did, he'd say he honestly didn't know. At the time, it just seemed like the correct thing to do and he really was trying to do the right thing, if not for his own sake than for Demyx's.

Their kiss was broken and it took an insurmountable amount of self-control for Demyx to not start their small session again. He raked his nails roughly down Zexion's back and he _swore_ the other made the smallest of pleasured noises.

"You're testing my self-control," Demyx warned.

Zexion gave the other's hair a little yank. "I know."

"Any particular reason?"

Jokingly, he responded, "I'm hoping you'll erase some of the negative marks in your grade book."

Demyx smirked and dug his nails into Zexion's lower back. "I think fooling around with your conscience might actually earn you a few more negative marks."

He let his fingers grace the blonde's lower lip. "This is all for naught, then?"

"It's hard to say when you're teasing."

Their lips met again and it was clear that, this time around, there was much more ferocity between them. There was no tentativeness when their tongues met, when they wrestled for dominance, or when they nipped and groped at each other. By morning, Zexion would have deep grooves in his back from where Demyx had released his tension, his frustration. By morning, Demyx would be sporting dark marks all along his shoulders and around his neck from where Zexion had nipped and sucked. By morning, all the tension between them would be erased and it would be a new and better day.

"I don't hate you," Zexion said softly between their heated kisses.

"I know," Demyx responded as he kissed and nipped the other's jaw line. "You don't have to say it, Zexy, because I know."

_Zexy_.

He liked that.

••••••••••••••

"**I just had **an epiphany."

Axel groaned and tangled his hands in Roxas' hair. "Epiphany, yea… Tell me all about it later."

Roxas worked his hand up and down his boyfriend's length. He was on his knees, between the other's legs, and Axel, who had been getting somewhat close, felt his toes curls when the other's mouth came off his God-given equipment. "No, I don't want to forget it. I know what we can do about Demyx."

"Oh God, let's _not_ talk about Demyx right now…"

It wasn't that Axel thought the blond was unattractive. On the contrary, Axel had had the pleasure of seeing him naked and if he had been single, he would've jumped the other's bones. However, thinking about Guilty Conscience brought up thoughts about Riku and his father and despite Axel's admittance that Riku _was_ good looking, it was rather difficult to keep an erection when thinking about his step brother.

Even more difficult, near impossible, when thinking about his father.

"Listen to me," Roxas said he worked his hand up and down his boyfriend's length. "We can fix this whole problem by testing Zexion."

Axel grunted and swatted the blonde's hand away. "Forget it. It's gone. Zexion is a boner killer. I feel like you should know this by now."

Roxas rolled his eyes at the older boy and gave his inner thigh a lick. He nibbled at the sensitive flesh there and then ran his tongue along the side of his cock. Axel's toes dug into the carpet of his bedroom floor and he yanked the other's hair.

"What's this epiphany?" Axel asked as he watched Roxas tease him.

"We test Zexion…" He repeated. He licked the redhead's length, his tongue tracing the veins and following the curved lines they made. "We know his schedule so we just… show up at his work or on the bus and goad him into a fight. He'll respond, proving he hasn't changed, and then Demyx will have failed and you guys won't have to compensate him." Roxas lapped at the head of Axel's cock and the redhead's fingers twitched.

"Guilty Conscience will end, Riku won't have to worry about giving Demyx anything, and then you guys can figure out what to do about your dad." He placed his mouth around Axel's member and sucked. His hands gripped at his thighs and he dug his fingernails deep into the susceptible flesh.

Axel sunk his teeth into his lower lip. "That… is a fantastic idea."

A brief moment passed and then Roxas removed his mouth from the redhead's cock. "You got more excited about my idea than about what I'm doing with my mouth."

Axel whined. "No I didn't."

"Yes you did. You got like… four times harder after I told you about it."

A pout crossed his features. "No I didn't."

Roxas looked skeptical. "I felt it, Ax. It hardened in my mouth."

Axel raised his brows and a smirk came over his features. "That's hot. Describe it more."

The blond rolled his eyes and stood. If it weren't for the little smile on his face, Axel would've assumed he was actually upset. Roxas wanted to play a little game of cat and mouse and Axel was perfectly okay with this.

The redhead stood up from the bed and reached out, grasping his boyfriend's arm and yanking him close. "You should be happy I get more excited about your mind than your ability to blow me. It means I'll probably keep you around longer."

Roxas pretended to be wildly offended by this. In some bizarre kind of way, he was actually charmed by Axel's lewd comment.

"Why don't you let me properly thank you?"

"Can you thank me against the bedroom wall?"

Axel's lips curved into a familiar smirk and he, a bit roughly, pushed Roxas, chest first, against the wall. He grabbed one of the blonde's hands and intertwined their fingers and Roxas responded by digging his nails deeply into his boyfriend's hand.

"You know… Sometimes I think you're begging me to hurt you."

"I just know you've always wanted a domestic violence charge on your record," he teased.

Axel sighed lovingly and pressed a sloppy kiss to Roxas' shoulder. "You know me so well."

His body shuddered and he bit his lower lip roughly when Axel just shoved into him without any warning at all.

Love didn't always need to be gentle.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, so… This is late. And not just a little late, but REALLY late. Almost 2 months late. I had a really difficult time writing this chapter and, worse, I'm having an even harder time writing _Smoking Lamps_. School started back up this week and after several significant schedule changes, I'm still annoyed I have to take stupid modern history.

That's all pretty irrelevant up there, but… Here's the chapter. I'm seeing this story being wrapped up within the next… Two or three chapters? I said that about _AF_ and it didn't happen, but I feel like this story can be more easily tied up because the plots all intersect. They kind of intersected in _AF_, but not like this. Everyone is sort of directly involved in everyone else's business in this story.

Uh… _Smoking Lamps_… Hm… I guess expect an update… soonish? I'm really sort of stuck at the moment because I'm really kind of disgruntled about how the second chapter is currently written.

I'll try and get the next chapter of this out ASAP. Of course I'm going to shoot for a deadline of 'one month,' but I obviously suck at keeping deadlines. Further, in the interest of time, **I did not proofread the 'thanks' section so… I am really, really sorry if there are massive errors or things that make no sense.**

**Thanks for reviewing:**

**dixonTICONDEROGA pencils: **I think SE was trying to give Sora hubris. His fatal flaw is that he really actually gives a shit about his friends and about other people. So he does things like… continually trust Riku. Stab himself in the heart (literally) to save Kairi. Continue to go on these ridiculous adventures for King Mickey when he could just sit back and enjoy life with his best friends. I think writing Sora as 'stupid' is wrong, but I think people get the impression he's stupid because his caring nature leads him to do, what some might deem, "stupid" things. I mean… Would YOU trust Riku after he betrayed you?  
I don't mean for my stories to have morals. I just… I guess being like, "Okay, what's the moral?" is sort of like stating the theme of the story. If the moral is, "don't steal," then it's pretty obvious what the story can entail. Loose plots aren't always good and I say this now because I'm having a helluva time writing _SL_.  
I failed calculus in college. Math is not my thing. I've taken pre-calculus twice and gotten D's in it both times. I've taken algebra, at this point, four times, and on the fourth time, I still only got a B (and a low B too). Math and I are just… not friends.

**Sana-chan9: **I know. I don't really understand the whole 'no gay men in perfume' myself. I mean… I wrote that, but while I was writing that I was like, "Realistically, this makes no sense." But it's good for the plotline and Riku will redeem himself. Hopefully.  
Justin Bieber actually was NOT the father. I don't think the results came out yet, but the girl accusing him is now refusing to like… give up her baby's DNA so they can do the paternity test.  
Actually, that's what I like about Axel. He's such a conflicted character which makes him wholly knowledgeable. The more one knows, the more conflicted he or she becomes. Axel is good at solving problems because he is often conflicted and he REALLY needs to think about things to assess whether or not they're right or wrong or somewhere in the neutral territory. Because he thinks about problems for such a long time, he's able to find an (usually) agreeable solution.  
No worries about the review! I was actually worried you might be dead. I was like, "This is weird… I hope she isn't dead." So I PM'd you to make sure. Every time I got an email on my phone, I checked to see if it was you. Juuuust wanted to make sure you still had a pulse.  
I hate chapstick. It has alcohol in it which dries your lips out. And everyone I've told tells me to "STFU" because they like their chapstick and don't care if it dries their lips out. It's like cigarettes (except… not as unhealthy for you).  
Yea, Vexen is… He looks anorexic. I don't know who did the character design for him, but… Jesus, yikes.

**Poisonapple88: **I'll sort of… all about the happy ending when it comes to chapter stories. I feel like it's a slap to the reader's face when you write up a whole 150-200 pg story and the ending is like, "And they all were mad and pissed and that's how it happened." In real life, most people usually concede and forgive or they just forget. Not all people and not always, but… You know, I do think forgiveness and understanding are two main principles of happiness.  
True. It is hard to mix classes, but I think Axel is versatile enough to make things decent between himself and Roxas.

**Tranquility's Chaos: **Thanks. Originally, Zexion started out as pissed. Now he sort of goes between "pissed," and "neutral." Sometimes he's… Maybe not neutral, but… chill? If chill could be considered an emotion. I guess relaxed is a better word.  
Uh… I didn't have plans to put Vexen with anyone. He's probably going to end up being the bad guy here in the next chapter or the chapter after. I also have no plans for Xigbar. They're just kind of… side characters, which means I'm too lazy to actually do anything real with them.

**Sakurasapprentice7: **Oh… Did Vexen raise Zexion? See, I, unlike most writers of the _KH_ category, have only played through and beaten _KH I _and _KH II_. I have played_ CoM _and some of _Days_. But… That's why you never see Aqua, Terra, Venitus, or anyone from _BBS_ in my stories. I have no idea what they're like. I actually think I spelled Venitus' name wrong. I'm an embarrassment.  
I'm glad this story isn't confusing. I know when there's a LOT going on, the storyline can get pretty muddled. The only thing I find confusing is the timeline for this story. I try and state the time (like… what month and what day) at least once in each chapter so I can keep an accurate count of how many months it's been. But I suck at that, too, and I'm kind of eyeballing things.

**WindRush: **Aww, thanks. You're sweet. I hope _Smoking Lamps _has lived up to your potential. Yea, I think Axel and Roxas need to sort of operate on a love-hate scale. I just don't see them being mushy with each other all the time. I think they'd get bored if they weren't in an argument over something.  
Demyx is a genuinely nice guy. And I'm pretty sure he'll get his happy ending.

**Luckless-is-me: **It is actually pretty terrible. Part of what I really like about this story is that it's asking the reader to examine what's right or wrong and if intent has anything to do with it. It's not really Demyx's intention to hurt Zexion. In fact, his intention is to actually help him so he can be happy. But does that make what he's doing any better? Further, Axel, despite realizing Demyx's good intentions, still feels like what they're doing is wrong because they're tampering with Zexion's life. And Riku is just… All sorts of self-involved.

**Mockingjay-lawliet-paramore: **No way! Feeling sad or getting angry or crying or being really happy is excellent. Writing should evoke emotions in the reader. If it doesn't, then it's just words on a page.  
I think Justin Bieber isn't the father. Last I heard, he gave up his DNA, but now the woman accusing him won't give up her son's DNA. I think it the girl just wanted some attention.

**18plusForMe: **Hahahaha. Yea, Vexen does sort of suck. And he dumped Zexion which really makes the whole situation kind of ridiculous.

**PumpkinLenses: **You got it. This story will, hopefully, be wrapped up within the next couple chapters. I'm look at three, four at the most, and I'm really going to try and stick with that number. _AF _was only supposed to be like… 10 chapters and ended up being 14 (… right?). Riku will redeem himself, I promise. He just needs a little persuading.

**sakuraXdrops: **Axel? Really? Well, yea, probably. He can be a real prick. But he's slowly starting to come around and Riku will too eventually. I like fanfiction for this reason – every reader has their opinions and can share it. I think you might be alone in the 'Axel's a jerk,' or… You're the only one that said it. Hopefully he's less of a jerk in this chapter, but that's really up to the readers to decide.

**o0SoulGuardian0o: **Vexen's issue is that he's confusing love and control. He thinks he still loves Zexion, but really he just wants to exert control over him like he did before. And don't worry. Zexion will take care of Vexen eventually.

**IchiakiI: **It wasn't so bad, actually. It just sucked because we were lying down the whole time. And yea. I dunno. I'm not really in to social networking. I've thought about starting a food blog, but I suck with computers so… Chances are my blog would suck too.

**Miggery: **I don't know why I continually write Riku as such a huge jerk. I think maybe it's because I like people to fight with Riku. Or… Maybe I just think he's jerk. I'm not so sure. Vexen is really creepy and eventually he'll get served by Zexion. Probably within the next two chapters, we'll see Zexion lay down the law and tell Vexen to put it where the sun don't shine.  
I actually really enjoy writing Demyx which is why he's going to have a slightly bigger role in _Smoking Lamps _than he did in _AF_. Demyx is so versatile and I like his upbeat attitude.  
All right so we have a deal! One signed novel sent to Miggery if I ever publish. I won't forget.

**FaiofSeresu: **Wow. Thank you. I always feel really… embarrassed, maybe, or stupid, whenever I get awesome reviews like this. I'll concede now and say that, okay, maybe I can write, but I don't want to be like, "YEA I AM PRETTY GREAT" because… I don't want to look like a douche. And I don't want to be like, "NO I CAN'T WRITE I SUCK" because… I don't want to look like a douche. So then I end up rambling, like this.  
I've had the theft of the notebook played out for a while now and you're on the right track with what's going to happen. I think this story is actually going to end in a way no one initially expects. And… seriously, thanks. I really appreciate the praise. I really do put a lot of time and effort in my writing which is why I never can meet self-imposed deadlines. I'm glad that my effort pays off.

**BRP: **Is Blu Ray the next thing? A lot of people are saying e-books will eventually replace real books, but I disagree. People enjoy having hard copies. They enjoy owning something tangible. I mean… Netflix, Amazon Video, Blockbuster online… All of those came out and yet people STILL rent DVDs and they still buy movies. I think saying "e-books will replace real books" is like saying, "streaming movies will replace DVDs." I just… don't think it will happen.  
Yes. Vexen is manipulative. And Zexion has too much of a soft spot for him to notice it.

**Merrr16: **Awesome. It's always great to have another reader on board.

**Iced Perfection: **Oh man… I used to listen to cassettes. I used to have like… a bunch of Disney songs on cassette that my mom would play in the car. One of my aunts, actually, still plays cassettes for her four year old. But that's because her car lacks a CD player. Can you even buy cassettes now?  
I actually love pop-culture. Probably because I really, really like gossip and that's a LOT of what pop culture is. Lots of fucking gossip.  
Yea. I already know how the story is going to end and I think, initially, people won't be expecting what happens. At least… I hope not. I've been very mildly hinting, but I don't want to give it away.

**Emilyy: **Wait… Did you send me an e-mail that I neglected to answer for like… two months? Because I noticed my phone gets e-mails like… WAAAAY later than when they're actually sent. My Yahoo! Mail says you sent the e-mail in November and my phone says you sent it in December. Either way, I'm not a dick.  
And if you did not write an e-mail to me, then well… disregard the above. Uh… I don't write VanVen because I have not played _BBS _because I am a horrible _KH_ fan. I've just been too busy to play, but I have been really interested in the possible new couplings I could gain from actually playing the game.  
Unfortunately, I think Demyx, initially anyway, is going to end up with the short end of the stick. But… It'll all work out.  
I try really, really hard to make everyone unique without making them OOC. I think what partially makes the characters believable is that they change. People are rarely stagnant and their views and opinions are constantly morphing and changing. I can safely say I'm a much different person today than I was back in, you know, September. It just isn't human to stay exactly the same. I also think you can sort of make your characters do anything provided there's a good explanation for it.  
Thanks. My humor is actually only… well… humorous in writing. In real life, it's a bunch of swear words and a lack of a filter. I'm really not so witty or clever in real life. I'm actually kind of dumb.  
I normally don't include lyrics in my stories because I'm always afraid it'll take away from it. But since it's a generally accepted fact that Demyx can sing, I decided 'what the hell?' and threw it in because it's a SUPER good song. I'm also really in to the Post Service. One of my friends has "Give Up" on vinyl.  
To be honest… I really like the love triangle going on between Zexion-Vexen-Demyx because I really feel like it shows how Zexion is changing. In the beginning, he was annoyed and disliked Demyx. And now his loyalties toward both people are torn. Does he betray Demyx, who is supposedly going to betray him? Or does he betray Vexen, who already betrayed Zexion once by leaving him? The fact that Zexion is slowly seeing how each scenario could play out and how there is no right answer shows that he's becoming much different. If he was one-dimensional, he'd do what Vexen says and they'd… sort of be the end of this story. Except for the crying, anyway.  
Eventually Zexion is going to take a stand. Eventually GC will be blown in. Eventually the ending will come about and I'm hoping no one will, initially, expect what's going to happen. I love twist endings.

**CoconutMigration: **Ahhh! This is so wildly late. Which always makes me feel so bad. I just suck, suck, suck at meeting my self-imposed deadlines. Vexen is really fucking creepy. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. I also think Xigbar is really fucking creepy and I can't… ever see him and Demyx together. It's just too flippin weird.  
Hopefully the next chapter won't be so late. I always try to shoot for an update every month, but… God. I've been sucking hard core.

**xFallenSpirit13x: **I think scale ratings are funny. I normally issue them as, "On a scale from one to FUCK YEA, how excited are you?" or something similar.  
Yea, I guess Zexion drinking beer is a little strange. But, to be honest, I don't really see him drinking liquor or wine. I think if Zexion is going to drink, he's going to drink an ice cold beer, possibly an IPA or a cheaper beer like PBR. I don't know why.  
So glad I can pull you away from class time to read. I don't want to say school is a waste of time, but… You know… It really can be.

**Rainstorm-Mosspath: **Thanks! I like your username by the way. I wish I had a cool (…cooler?) username.

**Rinokirio: **Thanks! This story will be wrapping up pretty soon. Probably within the next few chapters.

**Tofuu: **Hey! You sent me a PM which I promise I will respond to. I'm just… a terrible person.  
Yea, I know not everyone likes Zemyx and I know a LOT of people who read my stories are Axel/Roxas lovers so I do try and divide the chapters up so everyone has a turn, basically. Glad you decided to read the story and I'm really glad you're liking it!  
Yea, I don't… really do the whole 'dark, traumatic past' thing. I mean… Zexion told the story about his dad and the monster, but it's sort of like normal childhood trauma, I guess? Like… Not abuse, but… like walking in on your parents doing it. Unintentional, yet harmful, situations.

**Hahanowyougetit: **I laughed my ass off when I saw this because, no… Not at all. It was completely unintentional. And sort of funny that now it's Zexion being put in the awkward spot whereas before he was putting Demyx in an awkward spot. I promise there is no destroying the notebook and later publication detailing the events. These are different stories even if I'm stupid and use the same kind of elements.


	9. Deception in Two Parts: II

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **Well… This is late. Which is sad because I had about 4,000 words written a while ago. I made this chapter really long which is what I always do when something is late. Instead of the normal 8/9k, this story is 10,094 without the Author's Notes and the review section. There's also some Sora/Riku fluff and a little Zexion/Demyx fluff. Um… I can't even really give a good reason for why this is late. It's the normal kind of crap that gets in the way of writing (you know, life). But I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 8: **Deception in Two Parts: Part 2

"**Do you know **what the six o'clock news test is?"

Zexion yawned and rubbed at face. He searched his memory, a network of neurons firing in a hopeless endeavor because he really didn't know what Demyx was talking about. "Enlighten me, Conscience."

"Well…" He pulled a chair out from under the table and took a seat across from the other. Zexion, who had three textbooks open and was taking up much of the table, didn't look annoyed as Demyx had expected. Instead, he just looked tired. He lacked his mild intrigue, his dangerous bite, and he looked like a man who hadn't slept in decades. "I been thinking and I made this…" Demyx offered the other a small index card and when Zexion took it, their fingers brushed.

To the casual passer-by, this didn't seem like a big deal. But considering Zexion and Demyx had been a little less than extremely awkward around each other since their evening of debauchery, the touch was less of a touch and more of a spark.

"Uhh…" Demyx cleared his throat. "It's a three step ethical process."

Zexion arched a single brow as he scanned the index card.

Identify who will benefit from the situation.

Identify all alternative courses of action.

Choose the alternative that is the most ethical.

The shorter boy rolled his eyes. "Choose the alternative that is the most ethical? And how will I know which is the most ethical?" he grumbled. "Is God going to part the heavens and whisper the correct choice in my ear?"

Demyx smirked. "I thought you didn't believe in God."

Zexion was effectively silenced.

"Flip the card over," the blond instructed. "See? On the back I wrote, 'The Six O'clock News Test.'"

His eyebrows came together as he read the poorly scrawled message.

The Six O'clock News Test:  
When faced with a moral dilemma, imagine all the popular news stations are attempting to interview you about what choice you're going to make. The ethical decision is the one you're most willing to talk about. If you can't talk openly about the other choice (or choices), then those aren't the ethical options.

Zexion sighed. "I'm supposed to secede from every morally compromising decision and go through this four-step process?"

"Three-step process."

His eyebrow twitched. "I was including the news test."

"Oh… Right. Okay, yea, four-step process. Why? Worried you'll fail?" Demyx teased lightly.

"The only things I'm worried about failing are my exams. I told you we need to put this game on hold, Conscience."

Demyx's shoulders sagged and he frowned. "Well… That's why I put it on the note card. Normally I'd just follow you around and tell you what to do, but I –"

Zexion blushed and he felt slightly embarrassed. "O-oh," he mumbled. "Oh, I see, well… Thank you. For… For doing what I asked."

There was a bit of strained silence between them and Demyx, who wanted to cheer up and tell Zexion he was quite welcome, just shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Their quiet meeting in Zexion's room had left both of them feeling somewhat discomfited. They hadn't had sex, but as soon as their lips had touched, it had become blatantly obvious that they were quite smitten with one another. Normally, the blond would happily admit his feelings, but he was in a compromising spot.

And a little voice in the back of his head told him it wasn't exactly ethical for a conscience to fall in love with the human he was attached to.

And another little voice added, _"You aren't his conscience. You're a giant, erect cock playing a trick on him, destroying all semblance of trust, and ruining any future potential you and him may have. Hope you enjoy being alone for the whole rest of your life."_

Demyx cringed. "Zexion, look… Last week when we –"

"Things happen," he blurted a little loudly. His cheeks were a distinctive shade of pink and he looked pointedly at his notebook.

"Are we just… Not gonna talk about it?" he asked carefully.

The shorter boy felt goose bumps line his skin. His mind, instead of concentrating on studying, had wandered off to view the replay of the night in question. The softness of Demyx's lips, the grooves in his back from where the other's fingernails had marked him, the way the other had held him so gently while they slept…

"Zexion?"

He shook his head and tried to remember who, and _what_, Demyx was. "I… N-no. We aren't."

A little sigh parted the blonde's lips and he stood up from his chair. "Good luck studying, Zexion." He pushed the chair roughly under the table and ignored the annoyed looks he was receiving. Demyx stormed off, something he never did until he met Zexion.

As soon as his conscience was out of sight, the librarian laid his head down on the table and inwardly groaned. Guilt had built up in his chest. Guilt about Vexen, about Demyx, and about the situation at hand. He felt stupid because he didn't know which way to turn. Every path seemed to be filled with more chances, more possibilities, to do things incorrectly.

Even worse, Zexion had already figured out that in order to gain Vexen's affections, he'd have to hurt Demyx. And to gain Demyx's affections, he'd have to hurt Vexen. A sigh escaped his lips and he was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on his studies. If could be honest with himself, he'd admit that all he really wanted to do was go home and kiss Demyx. He wanted to go home and curl up with the other. He wanted to trust Demyx. He wanted to hold his hand. He wanted to accompany him.

But he didn't want all the negative consequences. And he didn't want to be duped into falling for Demyx when he knew that, eventually, the charade would end.

And then what would happen?

He curled his fingers in his slate colored hair and thought about possibly offing himself to avoid the stress of morality.

"Hey."

Zexion picked his head up and arched a single brow at the girl. "What?"

"Is this your notebook? I found it on the floor under this chair."

His eyes became somewhat wide and he nodded a little dumbly. "Yea… Thanks…"

She smiled and set the notebook down before walking away. Immediately, Zexion grabbed the somewhat abused thing and clutched it in his hands. It was Demyx's notebook. The notebook he used to grade him. The notebook he kept tucked away in the waistband of his jeans. The notebook Vexen told him to steal…

Zexion caught his lower lip between his teeth. What was he to make of this? A possible sign from God, a man in which he did not believe? Or was this fate telling him that Demyx _dropping _the notebook and him _finding_ it wasn't exactly stealing?

Either way, the finger of a higher power seemed to be pointing him down Vexen's path.

He leaned back in his chair and made a frustrated noise, followed by an eye roll, when the index card Demyx had so sweetly made him fell into his lap. He picked it up, reexamined it, and suddenly came to the conclusion that he had a _good_ conscience and a _bad_ conscience. And he suddenly realized that his consciences, from a metaphorical standpoint, were Vexen and Demyx.

The work left was to figure out which man was good and which man was bad.

••••••••••••••

"**May I sit **here?" Riku asked, indicating to the chair next to Sora.

"Free country," the brunet responded flatly. He was sitting in a coffee shop near their college, sipping a coffee and reading over a page of notes.

The older boy paused briefly and then decided that that was a thinly veiled _yes_. He took a seat and leaned back. He stretched his arms above his head, cracked his neck and then his back, and then he slung a somewhat affectionate arm about Sora's shoulders.

Sora, feigning disgust, shrugged Riku's arm off. "Can I help you?"

"Look, Sora, about what happened…"

"Are you referring to your consistently shitty treatment of me or one specific incident?"

Riku cringed. "Well… Specifically the kiss, but I guess I can apologize for all the other stuff too."

"How heartfelt." Sora downed the remainder of his coffee and closed his notebook. He shoved it roughly into his backpack and stood to leave, but Riku reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Sora, come on… Hear me out."

He hesitated for a moment. His heart was telling him to stay, but his brain was insisting that he leave.

"Please hear me out?" Riku mumbled. "This whole… polite and nice thing isn't really my area of expertise, but I think you deserve an apology."

"Glad to know I'm worthy," he chided.

The taller boy stood, his hand still gently gripping Sora's arm, and he brushed a few loose strands of hair from the shorter boy's face. "Look, I'm sorry. I only kissed you because you were winning."

Annoyed, the brunet jerked his arm out of Riku's grasp and gave him a look. "Gee, thanks. I'm really glad you can take advantage of my girlish crush." He turned and walked out of the coffee shop, but Riku was right on his heels.

"Aw, Sor, come on. That's not what I meant."

He rolled his blue eyes and didn't say anything.

"I wasn't thinking about how it'd make you feel."

Sora snorted.

"I wasn't trying to take advantage of you."

He stopped in his tracks suddenly, causing Riku to almost run into him, and rounded on the other. "Are you apologizing because you're actually sorry or because Axel and Roxas and Kairi are all giving you a hard time?"

Riku tried to keep his offended look to a minimum. "Roxas is the only one who really…" He paused. "I'm apologizing because I'm genuinely sorry." He put his hands on Sora's shoulders and looked directly into his eyes. "I'm really sorry. Will you please honor me with your forgiveness?"

A little smile crossed the brunet's lips and he swatted Riku's hands away. "I guess. You look so pitiful when you beg…"

Riku arched a single, silver brow. "I wasn't _begging._"

"Oh," Sora mused. "Then I guess I don't accept your apology."

A pout crossed the taller boy's features. "Okay, fine, I begged. I got on my knees and pleaded for your forgiveness. Can we kiss and make-up now?"

Well, Sora certainly wasn't going to say no to that so he stood on his tip-toes and planted a small, chaste kiss to Riku's mouth.

And Riku decided that it was _definitely_ cherry chap stick on the other's lips.

••••••••••••••

"**Is this seat **taken, Short Stack?"

Zexion recoiled at the nickname and his disgust was only furthered when he saw it was _Axel_ who was attempting to sit next to him on the bus. As usual, Zexion was in the front row, at the window seat, with his backpack taking up the spot next to him. Normally, he would've said something nasty about Axel's inability to read and then perhaps suggested he take a trip to the flaming pits of Hell. But today he just… didn't really feel like it (which was strange and unusual for him) so he moved his bag onto his lap and continued staring out the window.

Axel frowned deeply. "Aren't you going to… I dunno... Be a massive prick?"

"Do you want the seat or not?" Zexion asked smoothly.

The redhead hesitated, but then sat. He had been getting on and off the bus all day, waiting for his moment to seize the opportunity to rile Zexion into a fight. As he sat, however, he realized how anticlimactic this all was.

It hadn't really crossed his mind that Zexion actually _did_ have the potential to change.

"So… Been banged lately?"

The shorter boy sighed heavily. "What is it you want from me, Axel?"

The exhaustion in his voice only added to the layer of guilt that had built up in the redhead's heart. He didn't answer the other and, instead, looked him up and down. His usually crisp, ironed pants and shirt were rumpled. His hair, usually rock-like, was a mess. Axel couldn't exactly see his face because he was looking out the window, but he had a feeling the other had dark circles under his gray, foreboding eyes.

"Exams getting to you?" Axel asked gently.

Zexion opened his mouth to answer honestly, but he stopped and just mumbled a little, "Yea…"

Axel, though he knew it was probably against his better judgment, patted the other on the back. When Zexion didn't attempt to break his arm or scream obscenities at him, he gave the other's shoulder a little squeeze.

"It'll be okay, Zexion. You'll get through it."

The bus lurched to a halt and Axel stood. He and the moody boy exchanged a small, understanding look, and as Axel descended the steps of the bus, he was weighed down by a heavy, unforgiving guilt.

••••••••••••••

"**Demyx?"**

The only answer was silence. Zexion closed the door to his apartment and kicked his shoes off. It was cold outside and had begun snowing, but he hadn't bothered to wear a jacket. A little sigh escaped his lips as he slipped his backpack from his shoulders and let it hit the floor with a thud. He was exhausted. How Demyx stayed so _chipper_ when he _always_ seemed to be having a moral dilemma amazed him.

He shuffled over to his bedroom and walked inside, stripping his shirt and pants from his body and leaving a trail of clothing behind. He yanked his socks off and took a seat on the bed. It was only seven in the evening (much too early to sleep), but Zexion had no desire to study (he had been studying all day). If he had the ability to be honest with himself, he'd admit that all he wanted to do was be with Demyx.

He hadn't looked in the notebook.

He couldn't.

Because as much as he doubted Demyx, he knew – somewhere in the back of his head, he knew – that Demyx was his good conscience. And Zexion, though he thought the blonde's ethical steps were sort of stupid, _did_ imagine himself on the news. He _did_ imagine retelling this story. And he pictured how badly he would look, how badly he would feel about himself, if he hurt Demyx like that.

The notebook sat in his backpack, untouched and unread.

Zexion stood up from the bed and slipped his boxers down his legs. He walked into the bathroom, turned the light on, and made his way over to his shower. His neck hurt. His back hurt. His head hurt. Everything just sort of… ached, but Zexion had never felt so cleansed in his life. The stress of the many moral implications he seemed to be constantly facing were sort of worth it for this feeling of goodness.

He turned the water on and, once it was hot, got under the stream. Though he didn't like to think about church or question the existence of a possible God (or any kind of intangible higher authority), he couldn't help but remember when he had been baptized. He had been maybe nine or ten and he clearly remembered thinking how _stupid_ the whole thing was.

Zexion never really cared for symbolic rituals.

"Hey, Zexion?"

He poked his head out of the shower and was a little surprised to see Demyx standing at the bathroom door.

"Sorry," the blond mumbled, clearly embarrassed. "I just… I lost my notebook today and I was wondering if you've seen it."

Zexion made a hand motion, indicating Demyx should come closer.

Nervous, he hesitantly made his way over to the other. He kept his distance, for fear that maybe the other knew what the whole deal was and he wanted to…

Kill Demyx, possibly?

"I couldn't hear you," the shorter boy explained. "Are you okay? You look… pale."

"I lost my notebook."

"No, I…" Zexion sighed. "I haven't seen it."

A thick silence came between them and then the slate haired boy added, "But… But I'm sure it'll turn up."

The color came back to the musician's features and he tried not to look too overjoyed that Zexion hadn't found him out. There was no avoiding the eventual betrayal, but… but maybe Zexion could forgive him if he loved him and Demyx wanted the other to fall hard for him before outing the whole operation.

This seemed, in some heavily construed way, ethical.

"Thanks, Zexion," Demyx mumbled. "Because, you know –"

"Do you want to join me?" he interrupted.

All the heat in the blonde's body made its way to his face. "In… In the shower? Naked?"

Zexion kept his composure despite the butterflies in his stomach. "Yes."

Demyx didn't need to be asked twice. He stripped his clothes from his body, leaving them in his wake as he pulled back the curtain and stepped into the hot water. Both were clearly nervous, but they looked each other up and down. They examined each other. Demyx was trying to etch into his memory every curve and every line of the other's small frame.

"I'm up here," the blond teased when he caught Zexion eyeing his goods.

"Oh God…" Zexion blushed. "I changed my mind. Get out."

"Tease."

"Neanderthal."

"Introvert."

"Giant."

"Dink."

Zexion gave the other a look. "A dink is an individual in a relationship in which both people have high paying jobs and no children."

Demyx stared. "…Dictionary."

Zexion smiled slightly and then wrapped his arms around the other's waist. He buried his face against Demyx's warm, wet skin and inhaled his scent. And, of course, the blond responded in kind by wrapping his own arms around Zexion and holding him close. He ran his fingers through the other's hair, admiring the thickness of his heavy locks, and he tried to recall a time he had felt so content.

"I don't really want to die."

Though the words were muffled against his skin, Demyx heard them and felt a healthy wave of guilt overcome him. They hadn't talked about the possibility of Zexion dying since the beginning of their strange endeavor. Having it brought back up now meant Zexion had been thinking about it. He had been worrying about it. Demyx would go as far to assume that maybe Zexion was a little scared.

"You'll be okay, Zexy."

The nickname comforted him more than any touch really could have. He gripped Demyx tightly and enjoyed the silence save for the white noise of water falling from the showerhead. He liked the way Demyx smiled, the way he was able to hold the other so securely, but so gently, and he liked how comfortable and natural their relationship felt.

Even if it was all based on a lie.

Even if Zexion couldn't give the notebook back because… Because it made him feel a little bit powerful to have it. It made him feel, for the first time in months, that he had some control over his life again.

"Demyx?"

"Mm?" the blond hummed softly.

Zexion placed his hands on the other's upper back and raked his nails roughly down his supple skin. A little hiss of pain, more of shock, left Demyx's lips and he gave Zexion's hair a yank.

"That's for last time," the bookworm grumbled.

Demyx knew that that was a rough translation for: _Obviously, I am very much in-like with you._

••••••••••••••

"**I felt guilty **when my father died."

Zexion stared at the ceiling in the dark. His hands were placed on his chest. He was lying on top of the blanket and sheet because he was hot. He had striped to his boxers, convinced it was the heat that kept him from being able to sleep, but even now that he felt somewhat cooler sleep still wouldn't come.

"My dad was sick and he was sick for a long time. Eventually he ended up in a hospital bed with all these machines and wires and tubes and IVs. My mom didn't want to admit my dad was going to die and when he ended up in the hospital, she realized his fate was inevitable. She cried easily when she realized he was going to die. She cried about everything… From the terrible food in the hospital to the terseness of the hospital staff to things on television that were mildly upsetting at best. She cried because she loved him and she was losing him. She cried because there was nothing she could do to stop time and to stop fate."

Zexion rolled over onto his side, his back to his sleeping conscience. "I hated seeing her cry. I hated that she insisted I be at the hospital when all I really wanted to do was run from the situation. I convinced myself that I wanted to go to school, to be at my house and in my room… I convinced myself that I wanted familiar things around me so I could handle the extreme unfamiliarity that would arise when my father was no longer walking around the house." He paused and wet his dry lips with his equally dry tongue. "But… In reality… I wanted him to die. Not… Not because I didn't love him or care about him, but because I wanted the situation to go away. I wanted my mom to stop crying and I wanted her to go back to being okay. I wanted my dad to die – he had been dying for so long, you know – and I wanted him to finally just… pass so I could move on."

Zexion fell quiet and stared out into the darkness of the bedroom. "I wanted to stop worrying about my father. I wanted to stop going to bed each night wondering if he'd wake up in the morning. I hated wondering. I hated thinking that… that maybe he would die on a day I failed to visit the hospital. I hated that maybe, on his way out the door, he might have thought that I didn't love him enough or care about him enough. Or, worse, he would secretly hate me for not holding my mother's hand through his death."

Demyx's soft, even breathing made Zexion feel safe.

"When he finally did die, I had no idea how he felt about me, but I was sure that he hated me for being absent. When he finally stopped holding on to life and was at peace, I breathed this… this secret sigh of relief. And my mom, you know… She didn't breathe a sigh like that. She came home and was just as sad as ever. She mourned him like a proper, decent human being does. When his funeral came, I was supposed to speak and I didn't… All I wanted to say, Conscience, was that I was so glad he was gone because I hated how weird my life had been because of his sickness. I wanted to get up there and say, 'What a relief,' but I couldn't. My mom would die a metaphorical death – a second one – if she knew that that was how I really felt."

Silence engulfed the dark room once more and Zexion let out a small, yet heavy sigh. He shifted on the bed and crawled under the sheets and blankets, but not because he was cold. He felt that, in some way or another, his admission of his true feelings about his father's death would be better stated if accompanied by some form of discomfort.

"It makes me sad to think about my dad," Zexion mumbled. "Because I never mourned him properly. And I never treated his death like a decent son. He breathed his final breath and as soon as the life left his eyes, I washed my hands clean of him. And I wish now, in retrospect, that I had holed myself up in my room and allowed the pain of his absence to sink into every pore. Maybe I would be different if I had bothered to show him, to show my mom, that I did care."

Demyx didn't want Zexion to know how upsetting his story was nor did he want Zexion to know that he was very much awake. And though the blond wanted to roll over and hold Zexion and tell him that, 'of course your father knew you loved him,' he couldn't.

He was struggling. His own mother had died a very similar death and all Demyx had ever had was his father. All his father had ever had was him.

••••••••••••••

**Roxas had decided **that Axel obviously couldn't do anything and he should have known that if he wanted things to be done right, he would have to do them himself.

"What do you mean he wouldn't take the bait?" Roxas had asked Axel in quite the exasperated tone.

"Roxy, what do you want me to say? I even asked him if he had been touched in his no-no places lately and he was just… so disinterested. He's probably been seriously desensitized from hanging out with Demyx for nearly three months."

But Roxas couldn't believe what his boyfriend had said and decided that the redhead had either talked to the wrong person or Zexion had been sleeping or… something of the sort. Demyx was a very nice fellow who seemed to be quite good at lying and giving out advice, but he certainly wasn't a miracle worker. And unless Demyx started turning water to wine, Roxas failed to believe Zexion was suddenly incapable of flipping his lid.

"And what if he's actually changed?" Axel had asked, the worry in his voice becoming hard for Roxas to ignore. "What do we do?"

The blond had dismissed his boyfriend's concern. "Let me take care of this, okay?"

And so the small boy had geared up in about forty layers of clothing and braved the unforgiving cold to walk to the library. It was a weekend and during exam time and Roxas certainly had better things to do (Axel being one of them), but they needed to quickly solve this problem or the holiday season was going to go to shit.

Axel was starting to become a bit of a mess over the money situation in regard to Riku, his father, and Demyx. As much as Roxas cared about the redhead, he didn't want to be the person trying to point Axel's moral compass in the right direction. Morals really weren't his thing and God forbid he point the redhead in a direction in which he would become lost.

Once Roxas had reached the library, he removed his coat and nonchalantly sat at a table. He removed his winter hat and mittens and as soon as he saw Zexion at the front desk, he stood and walked over to the very short librarian.

"Hey."

He didn't glance up from his computer screen. "Hello, Roxas. Is there something I may be able to assist you with?"

"Well… Zexion, here's the thing… Axel and I were talking and he told me that when he saw you on the bus the other day you didn't really answer a question he asked. Specifically, you didn't tell him whether or not you had been, you know, dancing the no-pants dance with strangers. And I thought that that was really unlike you to not answer a question so I thought I'd come down here and just ask."

There was a momentary pause and then Zexion looked up from the computer screen, a look of confusion on his face. "I apologize. I wasn't listening. I'm a little swamped right now because a lot of study rooms and laptops are being checked out so the system keeps crashing and –"

"Are you being fucked? Axel wants to know. And he wants to know now."

Zexion looked much less offended and much more confused. "What?"

"Your sex life. I want the dirty details. All of them. All of the sticky, sweaty, out of shape details."

Zexion cringed and tried to keep his annoyed look to a minimum. "I'll have you know, Roxas, that my details are anything but out of shape."

"So you admit that the details are sticky and sweaty," Roxas said quite accusingly.

Zexion raised his brows and his upper lip curled somewhat. "Why is Axel so interested in my sex life?"

The blond paused. "He's… doing… a… uh… a research… project…"

"On my sex life."

"Yea," Roxas said confidently.

"Well, I guess the research ends here because I don't have a sex life. Now, if you'll exccuse me, I really need to figure out what the system is –"

"Goddamnit, what's wrong with you?" the blond said abruptly. He had a short fuse and was already fed up with all the shenanigans.

"Me?" Zexion snarled. "You approached me asking about my personal business because your creepy boyfriend wanted to know. I think there may very well be something wrong with you."

"So… So one day you're just all…. Mean and horrible and snap at everything anyone says and then the next day you're sunshine and rainbows?" Roxas yelled without meaning to.

Zexion paused and then a look of understanding crossed his features. "Oh, I see. You're trying to goad me into a fight. Did Axel put you up to this? Is he upset that I didn't foam at the mouth and attempt to bite his head off on the bus the other day? Well, Roxas, you let your creepy ginger boyfriend know that I have much more troublesome things on my mind than keeping him entertained with a temper that I used to be unable to control."

Roxas glared at him.

"If your only reason for being here is to try and force me into an altercation, I will have to ask the security guard to kindly see you to the door as there are patrons of this library who are trying to study. Now, if you don't need help finding anything or you do not have questions, please clear the front desk area so that I may –"

Zexion was effectively silenced by a large, thick loogie Roxas had so thoughtfully hacked up onto his shirt.

••••••••••••••

"**Nothing?" Axel was **shocked. "He didn't do _anything_?"

"No! He just… He just got up and walked away!" Roxas shouted, equally shocked by Zexion's uncharacteristic reaction. "I… I tried to pry into his sexl life. I was belligerent. I interrupted him and was really loud. He was completely calm! And… and he even apologized at one point because he wasn't listening to me!"

Axel's features went from shock to worry. "Roxy…. What are we going to do? You hack up terrible shit onto his shirt and he doesn't respond. Demyx did what we asked him to do and… and he even did it in a shorter amount of time! What are we going to do?"

Roxas sighed. "I… I don't know, Ax. What can you do? We can keep pushing Zexion, but I can't get arrested again and neither can you. Just… Just tell Demyx the truth…"

Axel made a rather frustrated noise. "No. I… I can't do that to him. I can't… I can't let him go empty handed. I'm not that sort of person, I…" His words trailed off and he sighed. The redhead slumped against his bedroom wall and tried to noodle a solution that would work well for everyone.

Real life wasn't as kind as story books.

"Hey… Uh… Axel?"

"What, Rox?"

"Are… Are you gonna come bail me out of jail? This is sort of my one phone call."

••••••••••••••

"**I burned your **shirt!" Demyx stated quite triumphantly when he walked into Zexion's bedroom.

"Good."

The blond paused at the doorway for a brief moment and then he ran, full speed, and jumped onto the bed, landing on the shorter boy and briefly wrestling with him before falling into a position they both felt was comfortable. They were a tangle of warm, content limbs.

"So… Who spit on you? And why?"

Zexion reached up to rub at his face. "You think it's my fault, don't you?"

Demyx frowned. "I never said…"

"You're thinking it," he mumbled in response. "But… It was my lack of a response that caused the incident."

The blond made a face.

"What's the point of being decent if people are still going to treat you badly when you're trying to be good?" Zexion asked.

Demyx hesitated for a moment and then he decided to ask, "Well… How do you feel?"

"Slimy. Wet."

"On the inside."

"I…" He sighed softly. "Confused. I know you want me to say I feel good about not involving myself in the exchange, but I'm just confused. I worked with Roxas for like… two seconds in the library months ago. That's been the extent of my relationship with him. I wasn't nice to him or anything, but I don't understand why he suddenly just…" Zexion's words trailed off and he suddenly noticed that Demyx's hold on him had become uncomfortably tense and tight. "Conscience?"

"What?"

"Are you trying to choke me out?"

Demyx blushed. "Sorry, I…" He shrugged a little helplessly and loosened up. "I don't know what to say. Circumstance makes people do strange things. Maybe Roxas is just crazy…"

Zexion shook his head. "He's not crazy… His boyfriend might be, but…" Silence passed between them for a moment and then the bookworm's eyes narrowed. "Axel tried to start a fight with me on the bus the other day. And then Roxas just showed up at the library and tried to start a fight with me too." He pulled away from Demyx's grasp and sat up on the bed. "Something funny's going on."

The blond tried to mask his sudden, deep concern. "Why do you think that?"

Zexion gave his conscience a strange, calculating look. "Because… Because I used to see Axel a lot. He was always going out of his way to pick on me. Riding on my bus, showing up during my shift at the library, yelling obscenities at me when he saw me in public… And then you come along and suddenly he drops off the face of the earth."

Demyx opened his mouth to speak, but Zexion continued.

"And now… Now I won't respond to his senseless bullying and his boyfriend comes looking for me." His eyes narrowed and he moved away from the blond some. "So… When are you going to disappear? Were you Axel's replacement while he was away? He's rich enough to hire someone to play games with me while he's off… Jesus, doing whatever it is rich, inconsiderate clods do on their supposed "down time.""

Demyx shook his head. "Zexion, it isn't like that." He sat up and went to touch the other, but the slate haired boy slipped off the bed and gave the blond a cold, hard look.

"I'm leaving," he said somewhat quietly. "I'm going to come back, but I need to think. Please leave me alone."

And all Demyx felt he could do was respect what the other wanted.

••••••••••••••

**Riku was a **little drunk. After a day of multiple failed attempts at studying, he had tossed his textbooks to his bedroom floor and decided that what he really needed to do the day before his Accounting 216 final was to celebrate the evening with alcohol and debauchery. And who better to partake in this debauchery than Sora?

Of course the brunet initially said no because he had been studying for his own exam, but his tune quickly changed when Riku offered to buy him drinks and promised it would only be the two of them. While Sora didn't mind Kairi (and in fact liked her very much), he found he never spent much time with Riku outside of his bedroom. When Kairi wasn't around (which wasn't often), Sora would find the older boy at his window, waiting to be let in so they could partake in some private affairs.

"You know, Sora," Riku began, "I have a secret."

The brunet, who wasn't even tipsy, gave his friend a curious look. "Oh yea? What's your secret?"

He gave Sora a little shove and the brunet almost lost his footing on top of the clock tower before quickly regaining his composure and shooting the other a dirty look. "I can't just tell you," Riku explained.

"You're drunk. You can tell me whatever you want." Sora jumped from the ledge of the clock tower to a small indent. He grabbed Riku's arm and pulled him down, causing the older boy to stumble and collide in to him. They ended up in a pile of tangled limbs on the hard concrete of the clock tower floor and Riku, his face slightly red from the alcohol, gave Sora a very cheeky smile.

"We've been in this position before."

The brunet rolled his eyes and shoved the other off him before sitting up and pretending to brush his mess of a hair into a more manageable mess. "Is that the secret? That we've been secretly making out?" Sora teased.

Riku sat close enough to the other that their jackets touched. "That's _a _secret, but it's not _the_ secret."

Sora nodded his head and gave Riku a little push with his shoulder. "So… What's the secret? You're drunk. It's okay to spill the beans."

The handsome boy gave the brunet a knowing look. "I'm tispy… tipsy," he corrected while trying his best to look as sober as possible, "at best, dear."

"Right…" He smirked and reached over to the six pack they had brought to the top of the tower. He twisted the cap off the bottle and handed it to Riku who gladly took it with a small, 'thanks.' Sora opened up a second drink for himself and they clinked the neck of their bottles together before taking their first sips.

After a few moments of silence, Riku asked, "You know Demyx?"

Sora smiled around the lip of his bottle. "Yea, I know Demyx."

"Well… You know how we promised to pay him for messing with Zexion?" Riku took a swig from his bottle and he saw the brunet's eyes narrow considerably.

"Yea…"

"Well, and don't freak out or anything because I've got a really good reason for doing this, but…" He blinked slowly and slung an arm around Sora's shoulders. "We can't pay Demyx. And by we, I mean me and by me, I mean Axel's dad. And now your brother and my brother are trying to make sure Demyx fails by doing their best to make Zexion's head explode."

Sora digested all this information and then slipped out from underneath Riku's arm. "What?" He set his beer down and stared. "_What?_" he asked incredulously.

"Babe, listen…" Riku set his own beer down and took Sora's hand which the brunet begrudgingly allowed. "You know Axel's dad?"

"Yes, Riku, I know your dad."

"No, no… _Axel's_ dad. A-X-E-L… apostrophe… S, D-A –"

Sora waved his free hand dismissively. "Yea, I know Axel's dad. You don't need to spell it out."

Riku picked his beer up and handed it to Sora to drink. "Well he hates me."

The brunet rolled his eyes. "No, he doesn't."

"Bullshit. He hates me. My mom told me he hates me. And you know what? That's okay because I think he's a bit of a shit person anyway."

Sora wasn't sure how to properly digest that information so he responded by chugging the rest of Riku's beer.

"And, see… I can't give the money to Demyx to start his shop because I'll be disowned."

Sora responded to that by chugging the rest of his beer.

"And Axel can't do it either because I'll get blamed and then I'll be disowned. And, you know… I think Axel thinks I'm some kind of… horrible monster for wanting to do that to Demyx, but he doesn't get it, Sor. He can do anything he wants and his dad will always accept him."

The brunet gave Riku's hand a squeeze and was confused when the older boy's response was to pull his hand away.

"My mom told me that the chances of Axel's dad letting us both inherit the company are slim. She told me that Axel will probably inherit everything and that, after college, I'm probably going to be asked to politely excuse myself from the picture."

Sora placed a hand on Riku's shoulder and felt the other tense considerably. "Your mom wouldn't let that happen to you," he said confidently.

He smirked and shrugged the brunet's hand away. "You'd think that, huh?"

There was silence. Sora shifted uncomfortably and made a note to talk to Axel and see what the redhead did and didn't know about his brother's predicament. After a moment of deliberation, he decided that Riku needed to be consoled whether he wanted it or not. The brunet threw his arms around the other's head and hugged him in a very awkward, very strange embrace.

"Uh…" The older boy placed his hands on Sora's waist, but didn't try to push him away. "Sora… Dear…"

"Shh, you need love. Just let it happen, Ri. Soon you're going to be all by yourself. You're going to be ousted from the group. Your parents are going to reject you. You're going to be a commoner and you'll have to get a job and you won't have a pool boy to do your evil bidding."

Riku tightened his grip on Sora's waist and pushed him away slightly. "_My _evil bidding? You're the mastermind," he reminded. "And… Besides…" He laid back and pulled the small brunet on top of him. "I won't be all by myself. I'll have you."

Sora wasn't sure if that was the alcohol talking, but it didn't matter to him. He tangled his hands in Riku's soft, silky hair and pressed a fervent kiss to his warm lips.

He liked kissing Sora and he wasn't ready to admit it, but he wasn't sure if whatever he had with Sora could go beyond kissing. He had always been attracted to women. He could appreciate the way some men looked, but he had never been attracted to them in the way he was attracted to women.

But with Sora… It was different. He wasn't particularly feminine. Riku would describe him as petite, but he certainly wouldn't say the other was at all girlish. In fact, Riku felt it was even fair to say that Sora was, in many ways, manlier than himself. Riku was more like a cat: he groomed himself regularly, he skulked about, he used a facility to deposit his biological waste. Sora was much more like a dog: irregularly bathing, always running about and excited, using nature as his commode and quite happy to roll around in the dirt.

Riku wasn't sure if _that_ was what he found so attractive about Sora, but something about the brunet gave him a rather uncomfortable sensation of longing in the pit of his stomach and as much as he didn't want to be gay, he found himself constantly thinking about Sora.

"Hey…" Riku mumbled against the other's lips. "I'm not gay."

The brunet shrugged and slipped his hand underneath Riku's jacket and shirt. The weather was cold and a light snow had begun to fall, but the heat of their bodies was keeping both of them more than warm. Riku was actually considering removing his coat, but figured part of his hotness was due to the alcohol he had consumed.

"I'm not," he repeated, trying to keep his words from sounding too slurred. "I'm not attracted to guys."

Sora bit his lower lip and, after a moment, removed his hand from underneath Riku's clothing. "Should I stop?" He sat up on the older boy's body and tried not to look too rejected.

He blushed lightly, but it went unnoticed. "Oh, God, no… I didn't… I didn't mean I wasn't attracted to you." Riku sat up slightly and grasped Sora's hand. "I just… I mean…" He pressed his face into the other's coat and sighed. "I've never been attracted to any other guy except for you. I guess you just… do something to me."

Sora felt the hair on the back of his neck stand and goose bumps erupted all over his body. He placed his hands on Riku's shoulders and gave him a little push away. Their eyes locked. Riku was clearly searching for some sort of answer in those deep, clear pools of blue and Sora was just simply realizing that he was seeing an uninhibited Riku for the first time.

A Riku that would gladly spill out all his feelings and a Riku that finally made some sense.

He wasn't in denial. He just had a thing for Sora. Which the brunet didn't think to be so weird considering he had many good qualities and he really didn't mind knowing that he could make a straight man a tiny bit gay.

"Also, I'm a virgin."

Sora grinned widely and Riku sighed and shoved the other off him. He stood, somewhat wobbly, and leaned against the stone wall of the clock tower for support.

"That's adorable."

"Jesus, no it isn't." He put his arm out and Sora walked over, allowing the other to embrace him. "And I swear to God, if you tell anyone…"

"I won't tell anyone if you promise to lose your virginity to me."

Riku laughed and then saw the serious look on the other's face. He thought it over for a moment and then he shrugged and nodded. "Okay. I promise. Except I get to be on top."

Sora couldn't ignore the sudden rush of blood from his brain to his groin.

••••••••••••••

"**Fishy indeed, but **don't be coy. You've known all along that Demyx wasn't really your conscience."

Zexion smirked at the first part of Vexen's sentence, but it quickly slipped from his features when Demyx's name reached his ears. It was true that the librarian hadn't exactly been fooled into thinking the blond was his real conscience, but he had managed to put who Demyx actually was out of his head and focused, instead, on trying to change himself. But he knew that all good things, regardless of how magnificent Demyx believed things to be, had to come to an end.

"I think it's obvious, don't you?" Vexen purred smoothly as he ran his fingers along the nape of Zexion's neck, causing the shorter boy to tense significantly. "Axel obviously set the little twerp on you. The two of you have always had a… complicated relationship."

He raised his brows and stepped out of Vexen's reach. "Our relationship was never complicated. Axel harassed me because he knew I'd respond to his stupidity," Zexion said flatly as he took a seat on the older man's couch. He still had his shoes and coat on because he didn't intend to stay. As soon as he had stormed out of his apartment complex, he realized he hadn't actually wanted to leave. Pride kept him from going back.

"Well," Vexen said carefully. "Do you think it's reasonable to assume it was Axel who put Demyx up to this obnoxious little game?" He sat himself uncomfortably close to the short boy.

Zexion hesitated for a moment before saying, "I think it's reasonable to assume Axel would do something like this, but Demyx just doesn't seem like the type to…." He searched for the right words. "He just doesn't seem like the type of person who would allow himself to be used for this kind of trickery."

"Well, the person you know is the person he created for you."

Zexion's brow furrowed. "You think Demyx's niceness and general good-natured way is just a charade?"

"I think it's reasonable to conclude that it's quite probable that he's nothing more than a liar and a criminal," Vexen stated nonchalantly. He reached out and ran his hand through the other's slate hair, but Zexion pulled back and stood up from the other's couch.

"Why are you so convinced he's a bad person?"

Vexen tried to look as if the situation didn't bother him at all. "I'm convinced of no such thing. I just think it's quite obvious that Axel clearly has something to do with this deceit and, if you recall, your life has been quite…. muddled for the past few months thanks to the two of them. Do you really believe a good person would do something like that?"

Zexion didn't say anything for a long while. He placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket and then he shrugged and shook his head. "I… I don't know, Vexen, but… But I know Demyx and I know that even if Axel has something to do with him and this whole conscience thing, I think Demyx's intentions were good."

Vexen let out a mirthless laugh and stood. "You are so naïve. Look at how they have tricked you. My guess is you weren't even able to steal the notebook, were you?"

Zexion's jaw was set and he paused momentarily before shaking his head. He _had _the notebook, but he certainly hadn't stolen it. The universe had just kind of neatly placed it in his lap.

The older man smirked. "That's what I thought. You were much better when you were with me. You understood the world and how it worked… Zexion, don't you realize that you mean nothing to Demyx? He'll toss you away as soon as he's done with you…" He approached the shorter boy and placed a hand on his cheek. "He doesn't care. And if you have any sense left in your stubborn head, you'll cut ties with him and come back to reality."

Zexion grasped Vexen's wrist and pulled the other's hand away from his face. "You're always belittling me and I think I'd only be naïve if I wasted another moment with you." He zipped his jacket and walked over to the apartment door. "Go to Hell, Vexen."

It was in this moment that Zexion realized, regardless of the shenanigans Demyx was mired in, Vexen would always be the little devil sitting on his shoulder. His six o'clock news team was telling him this.

••••••••••••••

**Though he knew **it was prying, Demyx couldn't help himself. Zexion had left his cell phone sitting on his bedside table and the blond, who had been pacing the apartment for the better part of three hours, finally decided that he wanted to call Vexen and ask for the other's whereabouts. He picked the phone up and slid the bar across the screen, a small groan coming from his throat when he realized he needed a pass code.

"1356," Zexion said from the doorway. "You can have a look, but you won't find anything interesting."

Demyx fumbled with the other's phone briefly and then set it down back in its original spot, pretending he hadn't touched it. "I… I was going to call Vexen. I was going to ask him if he had seen you."

Zexion bent over to untie his shoes and then he kicked them off. "Vexen and I are done."

He tried his best not to look too pleased by this, but the bookworm never missed anything.

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face. You and I aren't exactly square either." He removed his shirt and tossed it to the ground.

Demyx ignored the other's words and, instead, eyed his left side uneasily. "What happened? Did Vexen do that to you?" The anger suddenly present in his voice surprised both of them and Zexion looked mildly amused that that was his conscience's response to his injury.

"No. I slipped and fell on a patch of ice."

The blond calmed down considerably and walked over to the shorter boy. He got on his knees and pressed very delicate, gentle kisses to the badly bruised area and only paused when he felt Zexion's hands tangle in his mess of blond hair.

"Your lips are warm," he said softly.

Demyx gazed up at him and then nuzzled his face against the other's stomach. "I hate it when you leave."

"Needy bastard…"

"Zexy…" The blond stood and cupped the other's cheeks in his hands. He bent down, their lips almost touching, and Zexion saw _that _look in Demyx's eyes. He saw that same look Vexen used to get whenever he saw Zexion… That look that screamed, 'I love you so much.'

"Don't… Don't look at me like that," he snapped. He brushed Demyx away from him and removed his jeans before walking over to his bed and carefully lying down. His side ached from where he had fallen. "I… I can't deal with that right now."

Demyx couldn't hide his hurt and Zexion found that he really couldn't even look at the blond right now.

"Conscience, I order you to stop looking quite so sad."

"But… But Zexion, I –"

"Conscience," he said with a clear warning in his tone. "Please."

Begrudgingly, Demyx striped his own clothes off his body and crawled into Zexion's bed. The slate haired boy turned the light off and the only sound that filled the room was the howling of the wintery wind outside. The snow had begun to fall harder and the schemer was hoping that his last exam would maybe be pushed off to a later date.

"I love you," Demyx blurted stupidly. "I love you so much. I don't mean to. I can't help it. And sometimes I don't know why I love you because sometimes you're just… awful. But I know that you're that way because you're lonely and sad. And… And I'm so sorry about your dad, Zexion. God, I'm sorry. I wish… I wish there was something I could say to make that better, but I can't. And I'm sorry. But… But I think your dad loved you a lot. And I think that… that if he was half as brilliant as you he would have understood you." He turned over on his side and reached out, touching the other's arm, but then retreating when he felt how stiff the other was. After a moment, Demyx quietly said, "Zexy?"

"Zexion," he snapped. "My name is Zexion."

Demyx got the strange feeling that maybe he should leave, but the sudden emotional pain that had flooded every sense kept him from going.

"Zexion, what happened with Vexen? Why are you so upset? Why –"

Annoyed and angry because he didn't understand himself or his own feelings, he sat up and pulled his knees toward his chest. "Please stop." He put his arms across his knees and let his forehead lie against them. "Nothing happened with Vexen. I told him off. He deserved it. I'm upset because I… For a while, I guess I forgot you were some fraud paid to fool me into being… Well, a fool. And I am a fool. I am naïve. I let my guard down and I mistakenly let you in and I forgot that you, and probably Axel, are plotting my death."

Demyx's eyes got wide and he sat up. "I'm not plotting your death!"

"You said I was going to die," he snapped.

"Zexion –"

"I have your notebook," he said suddenly. "You dropped it and some girl picked it up and gave it to me. I… I could have looked in it and exposed you then, but I didn't and I still haven't because I wanted to trust you."

"You can trust me…" But Demyx knew the words were a lie as they were leaving his mouth. He wanted to say more, to assure Zexion that he was a good man, but the fact that the other had his notebook and had peeked inside of it shocked him. Certainly the other had changed, but Demyx hadn't imagined he had changed so drastically.

"For how much longer? Three more months? And then what? You drown me? Hold my head underwater or shove me off a cliff or fill my body with cement and sink me?" Zexion growled. "I can't trust you."

Demyx shook his head. "No… No… That… You're only going to die if you don't change. Or…" He ran a hand through his hair. "It doesn't matter, Zexion. Listen…" Despite the other's many protests, the blond gingerly wrapped his arms around the other and pulled him close, holding him tightly and pressing warm, soothing kiss to the top of his head and to his face. "I would never hurt you like that."

Zexion pushed and wiggled and struggled and only broke free of Demyx after the other mistakenly touched his injured side. "Don't touch me." He grabbed his pillow and got out of the bed. Annoyed, he left the room and lied down on the couch in the living room. Naturally, Demyx followed him.

"I'm not going to take your bed," the blond mumbled. "It's yours."

"What's mine is yours, Conscience," he spat bitterly.

"Zexion, please…" Demyx knelt by the couch and enacted every bit of self control to not gently stroke the other's hair or back.

"Goodnight, Conscience."

"Zexion…"

It was quiet in the living room and Demyx, who knew he wouldn't be able to speak to the other, walked into the bedroom and removed the blanket. He brought it over to the couch and gently placed it over Zexion, tucking him in and giving him a very gentle kiss on the cheek. And though Zexion was still awake, he accepted the kiss and the blanket and as Demyx made a spot for himself on the floor, he could have sworn he heard the other mumble the sweetest thanks.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, so… There is it. I'm actually pretty sure this story will be wrapped up within the next chapter or the chapter after. I guess it just depends on how I split things (if I make the last chapter really long or if I make it somewhat short (like… 6,000 words as opposed to 8,000). I'm not sure yet, but I might do an epilogue that's either attached to the last chapter or a chapter all on its own.

So… The last time I finished up a story (_Axel's Fables_), I put up a poll on my profile that basically asked which A/R story the readers would like to see next. I'm probably going to do the same thing for Demyx/Zexion so keep an eye out for that. I might do it before the next chapter is posted which, hopefully, will be out no later than a month (good Lord, fingers crossed, folks).

I'm going to be in Disney World May 17th-24th (… I think) so if the next chapter of _GC_ hasn't been posted by then, expect it after the 24th. I'll try and keep my profile updated, but I always forget.

Thanks again to **Aindel S. Druida** for editing this. I forgot to thank her in the previous chapter. As always, go take a gander at her profile, her stories, and ask her to kindly beta for you. She's really good at editing and really easy to deal with.

**I don't proofread the review section. Sometimes I do. But most of the time, I don't. So… Sorry if shit makes no sense, words are missing, there are massive errors, and run-on, rambling sentences. Derp.**

**Thanks for reviewing:**

**PumpkinLenses: **I think Vexen is out of the picture now. Because this story will be ending next chapter or the chapter after, I don't foresee Vexen suddenly popping back up into the picture. And Zexion will find out. It's only a matter of time.

**xFallenSpirit13x: **You know… Whenever I think about Demyx, I always imagine him as someone who dropped out of high school. I just don't see him being the least bit book smart and I don't see him being motivated enough to get his diploma.  
I think Xigbar is creepy because the majority of the Org XIII characters seem fairly young and Xigbar seems… ancient. I think it's the eye patch and the scars, but he just seems light years older. And so does Vexen.  
Hah. Demyx is a little too polite to make the first move. Also, he's kind of afraid of Zexion.

**WindRush: **I used to get into altercations like that in the library with this tutor I had. He was sort of an arrogant, egotistical douche and our arguments were mostly over what an arrogant, egotistical douche he was.  
Everything will come to fruition. _Axel's Fables _taught me that I really need to tie up loose ends. I think I got most of them in _AF_, but I know there were some plot points I started and never did anything with. There was just too much going on. That hasn't happened in _GC_ (yet, anyway) so I'm glad for that.  
Ugh. The three month wait is such a bummer, though. After I post a chapter, I always write like… half of the next chapter. But then I get busy and forget or have a little writer's block and time just flies by. It's crazy.

**Iced Perfection: **Ugh… Jersey Shore… It's like the worst sex education class on the planet. I never even seen the show, but whenever I see commercials for it, I'm just appalled that none of them have herpes or HIV or a hit on them.  
I would totally use fanfiction as an example. Or, you know, don't even mention it's fanfiction. Just be all, "Oh, in this book I'm reading…" No one will ask. But I do like philosophy at least when it comes to ethics and morals. Things can get pretty abstract. Like, uh… Like the whole 'happily ever after' thing in fairy tales. That's all kind of fucked up. The only people benefiting from that ending are the two main characters. No one else really benefits from that. And what if their happily ever after is gunning down orphans and chewing the faces off cats? It's all subjective.

**dixonTICONDEROGA pencils: **People who are inherently good are usually easily manipulated. They want to do the right thing so it's easy for them to get all turned around on what, exactly, the right thing is.  
I wouldn't trust Riku. I think that might show in my stories. He's always sort of a raging, lying dick. I can't help it. I mean… he's kind of like that in the first _KH_game, but… I don't know. It's just hard for me to write him any other way. I used to write the angsty one-shot deals and Riku was still a jerk in most of them. And one-shots can have themes. It's just harder to pull off.  
All math teachers grade like dicks. I'll let you know if I ever run in to one that doesn't grade like a complete fuck.

**The Moon's Berserk: **No surprise. The chapters are long. Sometimes I'll forget that I've written half a chapter until I check my flash drive. That's always kind of a pleasant surprise (unless it's shit).

**Sana-chan9: **Well, not anymore. My phone died and I lost it. I haven't exactly looked real hard for it, but it's definitely not under my bed (which is where I put it for safe keeping).  
The 'bing bing' thing came from Fran Drescher. She uses it in _The Nanny _and if it isn't blatantly obvious, I love her and that show.  
I try and redeem Riku. Or at least try and explain why he is the way he is. But… I dunno. It's hard. Axel can be a massive douche and people are much more forgiving. But damn. It's not that way with RIku at all. People are so hard on him.  
Yea, I don't think that whole 'Justin Bieber is a baby daddy' ever even went anywhere. He did his paternity test thing and then the girl was like, "oh… nvm." I think she was hoping he would just give her some cash to go away. In short, she's a stupid bitch.  
Sure. You can call me whatever you want. I think most people don't refer to me as anything (except maybe 'you'). And I hate chapstick. Blistex makes this like… I dunno what to call it. It isn't chapstick because it's like a cream, but I put it on like… once a month and my lips never get chapped. But a tiny little tube of it (half the size of my pinkie finger) was like eight dollars.  
… Bear in mind that my lips were severely chapped when I decided to spend eight dollars on an itty-bitty tube of lip cream.

**Sakurasapprentice7: **You know… I generally ignore the whole 'being gay' thing because it does tend to overtake the plot. However, someone sent me an e-mail in regard to _Axel's Fables_ and complained that it wasn't realistic because everyone was gay and their parents weren't mad. This person also suggested that I should understand the trials and tribulations of being gay because I'm from Russia and I guess… Russians don't like gay people? I'm not really sure. I don't think they were American, but I certainly don't believe they were Russian. Russians are pretty accepting. They're actually very similar to Americans except their lives are a lot shorter and older generations are ultra-suspicious of everything.  
… Um… Yea. More insight on Riku. I'm trying to explain his reasoning behind his selfishness, but I'm not sure the readers will be as understanding as Sora.  
I have. I've written a few things here and there and I have a couple of original plots written out, but it's actually difficult. The way I write fanfiction is much different from the way I write normally. Fanfiction writing is more… uh… easy-going and simple. Normal writing is usually darker, bleak, and sometimes much too wordy.

**IchiakiI: **Ugh. My updates have been slow. I hate it. Sometimes it's my life that gets in the way and then other times it's like… I'll suddenly have inspiration at a seriously inopportune time. I'll be stuck in the car driving a seven hour distance and I'll suddenly want to write. But when I'm at home, two inches from my desk, with zero to do, I can't think of shit and my sentences are like, "Demyx went to the store. He bought some crackers and then he left the store and ate the crackers because he wanted them." Yikes.  
To be honest, though, I'd rather there be a bit of a wait than to publish shit.

**Rinokirio: **It's all coming to fruition. I'm sort of about the happy ending so… After a few bumps and scrapes along the road, everyone will end up where they should be. I actually sort of like the way I set things up with Zexion and Demyx because I think the ending will be better delivered with Zexion already kind of noodling out who's behind Demyx's appearance.

**DreamsComeFromtheHeart: **Thanks. Despite this being fanfiction, I treat it as if it's something I'm going to actually publish. That way it's always polished and the ideas makes sense (hopefully).

**Himekimi: **Yea, Riku just kind of… always turns out that way when I write him. I dunno why. Maybe subconsciously I dislike him and want others to dislike him.

**: **Hah. Too bad that moment was kind of short-lived. Originally, I wasn't totally sure if there would be any intimate scenes between characters, but… Well, what the hell? The readers like it.

**18plusForMe: **Yea, writing the fluffy romance scenes are kind of fun. I think if this was a story with original characters, there wouldn't be anything like that. I'm not really… the romance type, I guess, and I put a lot of that stuff in there because I know the readers like it. Also, the building of the sexual tension is nice.

**Miggery: **Whoa. The greatest writer ever! It's too bad you aren't a publisher. I think we could make beautiful stories together. :P  
God, I have no idea what's up with Riku. I don't know why I always write him that way. I guess… I dunno. I guess because I kind of always want like…. A villain (Vexen), but then someone who appears to be a villain (Riku), but turns out to just be someone who is as lost and confused as everyone else. Maybe that's it. Maybe I like to write Riku that way because he seems so… put together and sure of himself when, in reality, he's just trying to figure out how to find parental acceptance or friendship or love. That sounds good. Let's go with that.

**Poisonapple88: **Thanks. I'm all about the slow-progression of romance. You don't fall in love with someone in a day. Especially when they're parading around pretending to be the physical manifestation of your conscience.

**Bbb136: **Hahah, thanks. I've, uh, been haunting fanfiction since, er… Well gee… I used to live in North Carolina and it's 2012 now and the internet started to become popular in 2000… So, uh… Probably 2004? Actually, maybe even before that. But I used to write the same old boring cliché plots as everyone else. And I used to write really, really bad. I mean, I was publishing one-shots on this account in 2005, but I used to publish some seriously bad stories on other accounts (all horrible stories have been removed). I think my writing really took a big old leap between 2010 and 2011. Mostly because I got a beta and I really started thinking about plot and how important it is to a good, strong story.  
I also started hunting ffnet and saw a lot of unrealistic garbage. I don't think a lot of authors realize it, but man… research is important even when publishing fanfiction. If you want to give someone cancer, that's fine, but make it like, you know…. Skin cancer or leukemia or something that generally has a high recovery rate. Don't make it lung cancer and then have the character rapidly – and miraculously – recover (unless… you know… the story is about miraculous recoveries). I really hate unrealistic events and I can't stand unrealistic behaviors. It drives me up the wall when I see stories where every character is a super flamboyant homosexual. To include Cloud and Leon. It just… it makes no sense.  
… End rant. Thanks for the support and praise. I really do appreciate it.

**Princess of the Not-So-Alive: **Wow! That's a LOT of words for your eyes to handle in the course of two days! I'm glad you like it so much. You must be a speed reader. And I know what you mean. Sometimes I find really good stories (or… stories that I like) and they haven't been updated in years. Lucky for you, I don't abandon stories and this one is almost over. Just one or two more chapters to go!

**Luckless-is-me: **You know… I started writing this story because I wanted to make my readers think. There are a LOT of morally gray areas in this story and there are a lot of ways that someone could say certain actions are right or wrong. You're right – Demyx does have good intentions, but what he's doing is wrong. On the other hand, though, one could also argue that Demyx might _think_ his intentions are good to mask his guilt for meddling around in a stranger's life. Or Demyx's actions could even be construed as _right_ because he is making Zexion a better and happier person (supposedly, anyway. For the sake of the argument, we'll just say that that's the case).  
That's the other thing. Zexion's meanness is really blatant and in-your-face so it's easy to see and point out and talk about. Axel and Riku, however, hide their meanness so it's harder to notice. They don't outwardly talk shit about someone. They'll just do it behind the person's back and then deny any accusations. I think, in that respect, Axel and Riku are worse than Zexion. Zexion is kind of like a bull: he sees red and he runs for it. Axel and Riku are like snakes, though: they slither around and bite you when you don't expect it.  
The next chapter is going to sort of… mix the whole morality issue up. Sora made up the plan for GC and, so far, he's kind of put it out of his mind. He's distanced himself from the plan so he can say he had nothing to do with it. But that's all going to change.  
What I actually kind of like about this story is that… all of the main characters (Riku, Sora, Axel, Roxas, Demyx, and Zexion) are all adults, but they're also children. Like… Everyone knows there's going to be consequences for GC, but they're all trying to make sure they don't take the brunt of the blame. Sora distances himself from the plan, Axel and Roxas are trying to make the plan go away, Riku is focusing just on himself, and Demyx is trying to insist that he was just trying to do a good deed (that'll also come up in the next chapter).  
I think the ending of this story will be… I dunno. Maybe surprising in some ways.

**CoconutMigration: **Riku is prissy. I kind of like him that way because he's just… I dunno… He's just too pretty for it to be an accident. Like Sora is tan and his hair is a mess and… I dunno. He just seems like he doesn't mind rolling around in the dirt. Riku looks like someone who takes care of himself.  
I don't know why Xigbar would end up with. I haven't exactly done research, but I've only ever seen him being paired up with Demyx. I only ever really focus on Demyx/Zexion and Axel/Roxas so I never know who the other Org. members are being paired with.  
Yea… Axel/Roxas is like… the perfect pair. I don't know anyone who dislikes them together. I've seen lots of hate fanfiction for the Sora/Riku pairing, but I don't think I've ever seen hate fanfiction for Axel/Roxas. Maybe just give it time though.

**Of cabbages and kings: **Wow, thanks so much. I been haunting ffnet since 2004 (possibly earlier) and I've read a lot of crappy fanfiction. I used to write a lot of crappy fanfiction (under different accounts). I used to write Sora and Riku super-duper OOC. I guess… I dunno. Maybe I played the games again and learned their personalities better. Or maybe I just realized life isn't puppies and rainbows and shit. So maybe my stories got more realistic and the characters just… came into themselves. I'm not really sure what happened. Regardless, I'm glad the characters are the way they are. To be honest, I think Roxas can be a little too abrasive and sometimes Sora's a little too feminine, but I try and tweak everyone a little bit.  
Oh. You're welcome. I always write Riku as a douche. I don't mean to. It just happens. And normally people don't like jerk-Riku. But he was sort of a jerk in _Kingdom Hearts_. He really gave Sora a hard time and made his adventure unnecessarily difficult. Sure, he was under a bad influence which means he isn't inherently evil, but… Damn. Riku needs a class on peer pressure and how to not give in to it.  
Hehehe… You know, when I said that, I had one story in particular in my mind. But I didn't post the name of it or the author because I think the author is young and I didn't want her (or him) to peruse through my story and find me openly slamming the way she (or he) writes Demyx.  
Thanks for reading and taking the time to review. Seriously. I hate writing reviews (and these responses), but I do. Because if someone can take the time to read my work and comment on it, then I can take the time to respond.

**Scintazzle: **Thanks. This chapter had quite a few missing words in it before I handed it over to my beta. She's really good at picking out the mistakes. You can always tell which chapters she edited and which ones she didn't. But I agree. Poor grammar really takes away from the story.

**BRP: **Axel's desire to do good might be outshined by Sora's desire to do good. I think the readers are going to like how this story ends.

**Syranjil Sarephen: **I'm excited that you're Italian because I'm Russian. And any grammatical mistakes are okay because English is tricky. I'm really glad you like this story. I'm also really, really impressed that you were able to read it all since (I'm assuming) English isn't your first language.  
Please, by all means, translate this story. I would be honored if you did. I wrote this story because the Demyx/Zexion section is really small. It's a small section in English so I imagine it's REALLY small in Italian. If you do translate this story, just send me a link to the story so I can 'favorite' it and put a note on my profile about it being translated.  
I meant to contact you sooner about translating the story, but I couldn't. I also meant to post this chapter sooner, but life got in the way. I would really be thrilled if you translated this. I trust that you're good at translating and I hope you're still interested. This story is almost over and I think you will like how it ends. Thanks for taking the time to comment and offering to translate. I really, really do appreciate that!

**CuriousQuestion: **Don't worry. Axel is going to do something about his dad. I'm actually pretty excited about writing the last chapter. I think there's going to be a good bit of humorous conflict. And there's going to be a happy ending. I think it would kind of suck to read this long ass story and then it ends in, you know, sadness. I don't really like sad endings. I wanna read a book and be happy I read it. Not mourn the loss of a character or feel like it was a waste of time.  
Vexen got what he deserved. The Zexion/Vexen pairing frightens me and I'm glad the ffnet section for it is so teeny-tiny.  
And… Thanks. I work really hard on these stories and I like knowing I am appreciated.

**XOmarX: **Uhh… Actually, the Eminem song was the inspiration for this story. For a while there, I was on an Eminem kick and this was one of my favorite songs. Before this story was published, I had been tinkering with the plot for about a year. Originally, this was a Sora/Riku story. Then it was an Axel/Roxas story. And, weirdly enough, it made the most sense as a Zexion/Demyx story. Probably because Zexion is curious enough to play along and Demyx is persistent.

**TenTen99: **Thanks. I need to download this Pocket Fiction app.


	10. Refuting Change

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story. At all.

_**Warning:**_ Shounen-ai, homosexual relationships, etc, etc.

**Author's Note: **All right folks, **the poll is now up. So… Please go and cast your vote**. Contrary to what I said last chapter, this is NOT the last chapter. It got too long while I was writing it so… You know… I had to split it up into two parts.

**Summary:** Question: How do you take revenge on someone who's smart enough tofigure out what you're up to?  
A. Promise the pool boy you'll finance his music shop if he pretends to be Zexion's conscience.  
B. Get everyone you know to help with your plan for revenge.  
C. Convince Zexion he's got six months to turn his life around or he'll die.  
**D. All of the above.**  
-Demyx x Zexion- -Axel x Roxas- -Riku x Sora-

* * *

Guilty Conscience  
•••

•••

By: Freekiwi

**Lesson 9: **Refuting Change

**They were back **where Guilty Conscience had originally begun.

"You know… Perpetrators always return to the scene of the crime," Roxas joked lightly. He and Axel had been camping out in the pool house for the last three days. Exams were officially over, the holiday season had begun, and all Roxas wanted to do was go back to his apartment and commence celebrating with Sora. There were very few things Roxas and Sora did together, but celebrating the Christmas holiday was one of those things that had become tradition. They baked cookies, they decorated, they got a small pine tree and covered it with lights and ornaments, they watched Christmas specials they had seen hundreds of times, and then on Christmas morning they would exchange gifts.

The holiday season was their time together and Axel was really cutting into it. Most upsetting to Roxas, however, was that Sora didn't even seem to really mind that his brother had been absent from their apartment.

"We have to figure out what to do," Axel said as he paced back and forth in front of a white board. He had a marker in his hand and his brow was furrowed, weighed down by thought and worry.

Roxas, who was sitting in a fold out chair, sighed and allowed his head to loll back. He crossed his arms over his chest and, for the fifth or sixth time, said, "Just tell him the truth."

Axel shook his head. "No… No. We just… we just need to figure out a way to…" He paused and glanced at the white board. The redhead opened up the marker and started to write, but then stopped.

Roxas arched a brow. "Another win for dyslexia."

Axel glared. "Shut up."

"This is stupid." He stood up from the chair and grabbed his coat off the arm of the couch. "I don't care about this anymore. I've been trapped here with you for days waiting for some solution to just… fall from the sky. But that isn't going to happen." Roxas zipped his jacket up and sighed.

Axel tried his best to look as if he weren't in severe emotional pain.

"Why is this your problem?" the blond asked. "Why do you think it's your job to make sure everyone ends up happy? Life doesn't work like that," he asserted. "There are only a few things that can happen here and all of them are going to result in conflict. That's just the way it is." Roxas could accept it so he wasn't exactly sure why Axel was having such difficulty.

This was, after all, the person who instigated multiple fights between people just for fun. This was someone who had spent much of his time harassing Zexion and doing reckless, stupid things to watch his father's face turn red.

Axel made a face. "You don't understand."

Roxas gave him a look that said something like, "I agree," or maybe, "No shit."

"I made things this way," Axel brooded.

The blond looked _highly _exasperated by that statement. "_What_? You didn't make your dad a backstabbing asshole. You didn't make Riku a selfish fuck. And you didn't make Demyx do anything. You didn't hold a gun to his head and force him."

The redhead shook his head. "But you don't know what it's like to strive for parental acceptance. Riku and I just… We know how Demyx feels."

Roxas would have been much more hurt by this statement if his parents had been around for more than his and Sora's birth. "Maybe not, but… I know that you can work your ass off to make things different and sometimes things are _still_ just the same."

Axel arched a single brow and gave Roxas a look, prompting him for some kind of explanation.

"Well… It's like your dad doesn't want Riku around because he's gay or… think he's gay or whatever, but what about you? I mean, what's going to happen between us? I bet your dad id s expecting you to get married at some point. And I bet he's expecting it to be a woman. And I don't mind that that's the way he feels, but… We been doing a lot of work and we'll keep doing the same amount of work to keep our relationship a secret, Ax. And even though we're trying to make it work, things will still be the sa –"

"That's it!" he interrupted.

Roxas looked confused. "What?"

"That's it! I know what to do! I know how to solve this whole problem!" The sudden excitement and joy that was plastered on Axel's features caused worry in the blonde's chest. They had been trying to find a decent solution for weeks and it just seemed very strange that, so suddenly, Axel had figured out just what to do.

"If I tell my dad we're together, he won't want me as the heir! Then he'll have to hand over everything to Riku because he has no proof Riku is gay and then, since I'll already be out of the Will, I'll give Demyx what I promised!" Axel was smiling much too wide.

Roxas was dumbfounded. "You're… You're going to sacrifice yourself? For a bunch of people who don't really care about what happens to you?"

Axel nodded. "Yep!"

The blond stared at him as if he had just lost his mind.

"Roxy, think about it!" He grabbed his boyfriend's shoulders and shook him. "We'll finally be able to be together. And all this… this pressure will be gone."

Roxas kept staring.

"And!" Axel grabbed the other's wrists and threw his hands in the air. "And then one day we can get married! Think of the tax benefits!"

He pulled his arms away and shook his head. "Axel, your dad will probably kick you out onto the street."

"Maybe!"

Roxas was staring, his mouth agape. He didn't know what to say. While he found the other's sacrifice to be… Stupid, he also found it to be endearing and exceptionally altruistic. He liked the idea of finally being able to openly date Axel and he liked the idea that his boyfriend would no longer be stuck to a set future. This freed up the both of them to explore different career paths and while Roxas thought it would be nice, for once, to have money and not worry about anything, he figured it was a lot nicer knowing Axel wouldn't be marrying some bimbo who would shoot out some snot-faced children who would then be the next heirs.

Roxas didn't want to be a mistress (or, more accurately, a manstress).

"You should think about this more," he said carefully. "You'll… you'll be throwing a lot away. What if he stops paying for you to go to school?"

Axel shrugged. "Maybe I'll become a bank robber. Or a CIA man."

"Those… Those aren't real career paths," Roxas pointed out.

Axel waved him away dismissively. "I could be the next Steve on _Blue's Clues_. Or I could be on that show, _Doodlebops!"_

There was a moment of silence and then Roxas hesitantly asked, "Aren't those children's shows?"

The redhead shrugged. "Sometimes I watch Nick Jr. Is that such a crime?"

_It should be_, the blond thought.

Axel lied down on the couch and stretched out his arms and legs. "Look, don't worry about that right now. We just solved the most pressing problem. We'll worry about all that other stuff later."

Roxas wanted to know when _later_ would be. He was glad to see Axel finally happy and not so troubled, but he got the feeling that his boyfriend was trying to, in some way, punish himself for messing with Zexion. He had a rather bad feeling in his stomach that Axel only found this solution amenable because he was in some sort of crisis. Axel seemed to believe that, if things progressed without his confession, everyone's lives would be shit and it would be his fault.

The pros of Axel's solution greatly outweighed the cons, but Roxas was troubled because he believed part of the redhead's decision stemmed from the fact that there was guilt where their relationship was concerned.

Somewhere along the line it seemed Axel had decided that maybe their relationship wasn't optimal, and the only way to make it better was to push everything out into the open. But Roxas wasn't sure he agreed because he knew enough to know that Axel could sacrifice a lot and Roxas could never say, with no uncertainty, that they would be together until the end of time.

Roxas definitely wanted it to be that way, but he couldn't predict the future. And the mass of guilt that could potentially plague their already fragile relationship made the blond want to shout at Axel to rethink what he was planning to do.

"Axel –"

"Do you know what your poor brother is going through?"

The redhead sat up and looked over the top of the couch. Sora stood at the doorway of the pool house, all bundled up in his winter gear. The snow was falling in thick, heavy flakes and the brunet's cheeks were red from being outside.

"No?" Axel said questioningly. He looked at Roxas for some kind of answer, but the blond shrugged.

Annoyed, the brunet pulled his gloves off. He tried to remove his scarf, but became briefly tangled it. He flailed as he tried to pull it off and, after a few moments of struggling, he finally yanked it off and threw it to the floor. Luckily, his hat was much easier to angrily take off.

"Your dad is going to totally fuck him!"

Axel smirked. "I guess he doesn't have a problem with the gays after all."

"I…" Sora looked enraged, but then confused. "What?"

The redhead got off the couch and gave Roxas a look. "Hm…" He slung an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and raised a brow. "How does Sora know about Ri's predicament?"

The blond shrugged. He certainly hadn't said anything. That whole mess was between Riku, Axel, and their father.

"Riku told me!" Sora stated, quite exasperated because he hated the cold weather and he had been dying to talk to Axel, but exams had kept him much too busy. All his annoyance and rage at Axel's father and Riku's mother had built up and Sora was heated.

Which used to be a rarity for the brunet, but ever since he had become entangled in Riku's family affairs, he found himself living with a shorter and shorter fuse.

"Riku knows?" Axel looked surprised. "Does he know _I _know?"

Sora's eyes narrowed. "I… I don't think so."

Roxas made a face.

The brunet hesitated, but then began to speak. "Your dad hates Riku."

Axel smirked. "Well… What the fuck else is new?"

Sora glared. "And Riku's mother told him so." He paused and then gave the redhead a disgusted look. "If you know all this, why aren't you doing anything about it?"

He reached up and ran a hand through his mess of red hair. "It's… complicated," he said decidedly. "There's a lot more going on than you know about. A lot of things that you would never be able to comprehend." Axel felt that telling Sora why his father _actually_ disliked Riku was a bad idea. He certainly didn't need Sora pulling out the 'hero' card and going and confronting the man himself. This was between Axel, Riku, and their father, and it really wasn't Sora's place to butt in.

Advice and third-party observations were one thing, but insisting that this or that needed to be done just grated on Axel's nerves. There were multiple solutions to every problem and Axel didn't like to sit on one single solution if it didn't feel right.

"Start talking," the brunet insisted. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to look less cold and more upset. "You know what Riku is going to do to Demyx because of all these shenanigans?"

Axel pretended to think very hard about this. "Hmm… We live together. We talk about nearly everything. We're pretty much best friends. We go to the same college… Hmm… I think it's safe to say I haven't got a clue," he mused sardonically.

Roxas elbowed him in the side. "Look, Sora, we know what's going on. We've known for a while. Axel's father talked to him about Riku and when Axel tried to tell Riku, Riku told him that they shouldn't give Demyx what's due to him."

Sora gave both of them a disparaging look. "How could you know and not do anything?"

Roxas shook his head. "We been trying to think of a solution!"

He scoffed. "A solution that works for you and Axel?"

Roxas looked offended, but nowhere near as offended as Axel.

"Pardon you, little girl, but I've been trying to think of a solution that will benefit everyone except me," the redhead said quite coldly. "Now why don't you shut your trap and go run off and play Mistress with Riku some more?"

"I'm trying to save Riku!"

Axel sneered. "My God. You are _way _off."

Sora balled his hands into fists and decided that he really did _not_ like Axel. "You're the one who _knew_ about Riku's problem and, instead of helping him, you've been letting him suffer through it all by himself!"

Roxas stepped in. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Axel pointed at the blond. "Agreement!"

Sora rolled his eyes. "If the two of you are really so all-knowing, why don't you enlighten poor, ignorant me?"

Roxas and Axel exchanged a look. Involving Sora fully in a problem that was already in the process of being solved seemed like a waste of time and energy. It was also very clear that Sora was on some kind of warpath and that he clearly blamed Axel, at least partially, for Riku's predicament.

"It's…" the redhead began. "It's… comp… licated."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Exams are over. Christmas is a few days away. I think I've got a little time. I'll try and noodle out why it's so complicated while you give me all the little details."

The door to the pool house opened and Riku walked in. He was wearing pants and a sweater and appeared unbothered by the cold. "Hey, Axel…" His words trailed off and he looked from his brother to Roxas and then to Sora. "What's going on?"

"Axel knew about your problem!" Sora yelled while pointing accusingly at the redhead.

Axel's mouth was agape. "What's wrong with you?" he yelled. "For Christ's sake, are we in fourth grade?" The word 'tattletale' danced dangerously on the tip of his tongue, but he felt the discussion (if it could be called that) would be boiled down to nothing but name calling if he decided to use the word.

Even if it was quite appropriate.

Riku, initially, looked shocked, but his features quickly faded into a strange blend of neutrality and what could be construed as hurt. "What the hell, Axel? If you knew, why didn't you tell me? Even my _mom _told me and she's a…" He had trouble insulting the woman who gave him life.

"Gold digging slut?" Roxas mumbled helpfully.

Riku shot him a look. "So… What? Were you gonna help your dad kick me to the curb?"

Axel shook his head. "No…" He made some motions with his hands and tried to make up a string of words to form a sentence. "It's… You know… It's…" Nervously, Axel began to laugh. "You know… in a couple months, we'll probably look back on this and… Just…" He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Be living on the streets…" he mumbled.

Roxas looked away from the other and tried not to feel embarrassed for him.

Riku looked incised. "I can't believe you."

Axel tried to think of _anything _to say. "Look, man, I wanted to tell you. I just…"

Hesitantly, Roxas took over. "He… He was mad about the Demyx thing. He was going to tell you, but then you said that, and things just got… out of hand."

"Shut it, Blondie," Riku snapped.

Roxas waited for Sora or Axel to jump to his defense, but neither of them did. His eyes narrowed and then he gave Axel a rather painful elbow to the side.

Wincing, the redhead said something like, "Don't… insult him."

Roxas' shoulders sagged and he opened his mouth to argue, but stopped. That was probably the best he was ever going to get so he let it go. He had to learn to accept Axel. This was the person he had fallen in love with. And he was beginning to figure that Axel really wasn't as bad as the blond sometimes painted him to be.

"You should have told him," Sora chided.

Axel lolled his head back and sighed. "I was going to!"

"Liar," Riku stated accusingly.

The redhead clenched his jaw and he, quite suddenly, became very defensive. "You shouldn't have said you wanted to rip off Demyx!"

After all this time, Axel was the only one who had come up with a solution that suited everyone except himself. He was fine with this solution, but it enraged him to know that Riku and Sora, who really didn't know much at all, were ready to bite his throat out over an error in communication.

Riku raised his brows. "I'm the one hanging by a thread here! If we give Demyx what we promised, I'll get blamed and be written off the Will! As of right now, I still have a shot!"

Axel's eyes narrowed and he wanted to say something like, 'You never had a shot because my dad thinks you're gay,' but he didn't. Instead, he attacked Sora. "If he had never thought of Guilty Conscience in the first place, we wouldn't even be here right now!"

Roxas said something like, "That's a leap…"

Sora looked startled. "_What_? Your dad hating Riku has nothing to do with that!"

"It has something to do with that! I would have helped Riku if he didn't want to fuck Demyx over!" Axel yelled. This wasn't exactly true. Axel _did_ want to help Riku regardless, but he didn't like being attacked and he hated feeling so guilty. He hated feeling like such a monster. Sora and Riku had no idea what lengths Axel was willing to go to in order to make sure things worked out all right. They weren't listening and he was beginning to feel like a cat that had been backed into a corner.

His claws were out. And he loved Riku too much to begin blaming him for their troubles.

The brunet looked very upset and he looked to Riku unsurely. Was it really his fault, to some extent? He certainly didn't blame himself totally, but Axel seemed to have a point. If Sora had never gotten involved, Guilty Conscience, most likely, wouldn't have come to fruition. And if it hadn't, Axel and Riku would be having a very different conversation about their father.

Riku saw the look on Sora's face – that calculating, 'I think I did something wrong and I'm sorry' look – and he lashed out at Axel. "If you and your father weren't such massive dicks, I wouldn't be trying to do anything to Demyx!"

"You're selfish!" the redhead yelled. "You're selfish and therefore worthless!"

"I'm selfish?" Riku shouted back. "I'm selfish _and _worthless? You're the sorry sack of shit who knew my demise was coming and instead of helping, you just sat on your ass waiting for everything to fall apart!"

Axel tangled his hands in his hair and felt like he was going to explode. "You aren't listening! I been in this pool house for days trying to think of a solution that will work for you and Demyx!"

Riku crossed his arms and stared at Axel with a firm, disbelieving look. "Sure. And Roxas isn't here for sex or anything. He's here is help you figure out a solution."

Roxas looked offended and somewhat disgusted. He really didn't like to think about Riku imagining him and Axel doing the Bing-Bing.

The redhead was practically foaming at the mouth. "He was helping me! We were trying to find an amenable solution!"

"Trying to goad Zexion into a fight doesn't count as a solution," Sora pointed out despite his feelings of guilt. "That's just… purposefully trying to ruin Demyx's hard work so you don't have to pay him. That isn't any better than ripping him off."

Axel had had it and all his composure was suddenly gone. "Shut up!" he yelled. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! I can't take it anymore! Shut your whiny, tattling mouth before I stick my foot so far up your ass, you'll have to brush the shoe grim and shit from your teeth!"

Roxas and Sora both looked shocked.

"This is none of your business! You're just brewing up trouble! And, you know what? If you hadn't helped us brainstorm a plan, we would've gotten bored and decided Zexion wasn't worth the trouble! But you couldn't just sit there and be useless like Roxas always does!"

The blond opened his mouth to defend himself, but then shrugged and decided that that was true. He was kinda useless when it came to scheming up plots. He supposed he just wasn't creative. Probably because of his general apathy in regard to strangers and people he didn't know very well. Only three people could make him angry or happy or sad for extended periods of time and they were all standing in the pool house.

Sora's brows came together. "Are you really blaming me for all your problems?" he asked defensively. He was really beginning to feel that a portion of the large issue at hand really was his fault. That maybe things would be different if he had been different.

Axel looked very angry. "No. I'm blaming you for our problem with Demyx. And I'm blaming you for this fight that's taking place right now. I had everything worked out. Everything was going to be okay, but then you came in here and opened your mouth and unleashed this hell."

Riku glared. "He was trying to help!"

Axel raised a brow. "Help who? Certainly not you. Do you think that screaming and yelling and claiming that I'm selfish makes me want to do anything for anyone?"

Riku bit the inside of his cheek and glanced at Sora.

"If any of you had listened to me in the first place, none of this would have happened."

Axel looked at Roxas and then shoved him down onto the couch. "Shut up."

"Honesty's the best policy!" he said as scrambled up from the couch. "I said you should tell Riku! And Demyx!"

Axel shot the other a deadly look. Roxas was trespassing on some very dangerous ground.

Sora's eyes narrowed and a calculating look crossed his features. "Why doesn't someone just tell Demyx and Zexion the truth?"

A look was exchanged around the room and then Axel arched a single brow. "We may have an issue with paying Demyx, but we certainly aren't going to let Zexion kill him just to get him off our plate."

Sora shook his head. "Who's to say Zexion hasn't changed? If we all just sat him down and explained what was going on, then maybe... Maybe he'd understand. We'll just apologize and then promise to never bother him again. And then we'll give Demyx what we can. I've got, you know, like… a couple hundred dollars and I bet between the four of us, we can give him something substantial."

Roxas, Riku, and Axel were all giving Sora looks. Looks that clearly questioned whether or not he was living in a fantasy world where everything was rainbows and kittens. Realty, Sora didn't seem to realize, was nothing but a world of problems lying in wait.

"I already have a plan," Axel concluded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It's going to be fine. Everyone just needs to trust me."

Riku crossed his arms and gave his brother a quizzical glance, but said nothing.

"If it doesn't involve telling the truth then it isn't a good plan," Sora chastised.

Axel rolled his eyes. "Why don't you go outside and make a snow angel, Mother Teresa? I don't need any more of your bird-brain ideas."

The brunet glared. "I'm just trying to help."

"You've helped enough," Axel grunted, still sour from their argument before. "If you want to assuage your guilt so badly, why don't you skip on down to a local church and spend a little time in a confessional?"

Sora had a mixed expression of hurt and anger. He grabbed his mittens, hat, and scarf off the floor and began to put them on. "Fine. I'll just do what I think is right since that's apparently the plan you've adopted."

Riku was briefly torn between choosing a side and then he realized that, despite his anger at Axel, they were still brothers. "Sora, don't." He grabbed the brunet's arm. "Trust Axel. I…" He paused for a brief moment. "I know he wouldn't intentionally do anything to hurt me."

"Right. At least not anything that could cause permanent damage," Axel agreed. His shoulders relaxed somewhat and he was glad to see that Riku knew him not as a villain.

Sora looked at both of them. "Right," he said unsurely. "But I think Zexion deserves to know."

Roxas gave Axel a glare. "You made a mess by making him feel all guilty."

The brunet pulled his arm from Riku's grasp. "Axel isn't wrong to make me feel guilty." He went for the door, but Riku quickly grabbed him and wrestled him to the floor.

"Just trust him," Riku insisted as he sat on top of the other.

Sora struggled under the older boy. "He didn't tell you about your dad! How do you know he's going to do the right thing now?" Especially when the right thing to do was to tell the truth. No one should be left in the dark any longer.

Riku shook his head. "Because sometimes you have to let someone else take the reins and just hope and pray that they do what's best."

"What's best is subjective!" Sora wiggled out from under Riku and quickly scrambled up from the floor. He managed to get a step outside the door before Axel, Roxas, and Riku had grabbed him.

And, from there, the only solution was to tie Sora to the little fold out chair.

••••••••••••••

**Morning was no **different from the night before. Things were tense, silent, and Zexion was allowing himself to be consumed by what he believed was, most likely, the truth. Like any good scientist or researcher, he would collect his data and base a conclusion on what he discovered. But in order to do any of that, he needed Demyx to go away. Otherwise, his pool of culprits would end up contaminated.

"There is no need to play this game anymore, Conscience," Zexion said coldly as he pulled a long sleeve shirt over his head.

Demyx, who looked awful from having gotten no sleep, weakly shrugged. "It isn't a game."

"I'm going out. Stay here. Or leave. Just don't follow me."

Demyx blinked his heavy eyelids and let his shoulders sag. "You shouldn't go out. It's snowing too much. And your side is injured."

"It's bruised," Zexion snapped. He made brief eye contact with Demyx and felt a nasty, heavy surge of guilt fill his stomach to capacity. "I told you not to look at me like that."

The blond couldn't help it. Hesitantly, he walked over to the shorter boy and wrapped his arms around his waist delicately. "Don't go," Demyx said softly. Zexion was stoutly refusing to hug him back so the blond just held him tighter, being mindful of his injury.

"Conscience, it would be in your best interest to release me at once." His voice was low and dangerous and Demyx was beginning to feel that all his hard work wasn't paying off. He was beginning to realize that Zexion didn't love him, that what they had was just based on a lie, and, now that things were falling apart, Zexion was back to the way he had always been.

"Don't go out there. Just stay here with me…" Demyx said softly. "It's cold and dangerous and –"

Zexion roughly shoved the other away from him and gave him a very hard, very calculated look. "I suggest you keep your distance, Conscience, or I will be forced to have you removed from the premises. I have tolerated you for quite a while – much longer than I have ever tolerated anyone else – so I think you should be happy you got what you did from me."

"Zexion, I wasn't seeking to get anything from you, I –"

"Enough," he said with finality. His voice and features were neutral, but the way his hands trembled was giving away the fear and anxiety he felt. "Everything, I believe, has been a mistake." He walked past Demyx and into the living room. He opened up the small closet that sat in between the hallway and living area and pulled out his winter coat, mittens, and scarf.

"Can we meet later?" Demyx asked softly.

Zexion made the mistake of making eye contact with the blond. "Yes." But he regretted the word as soon as it left his mouth.

"Where?" the blond asked, trying to keep his excitement to a minimum.

"Do you know where the college students ice skate in the winter?"

Demyx thought for a moment and then he nodded. "In the wooded area near the library?"

Zexion nodded as he dressed himself in his winter garb. "You can meet me there in two hours. But I think it is best that I warn you… I will be highly upset by the time these two hours pass. I may very well be belligerent, unabashed, and exceptionally uncontrolled. I will be abrupt, cruel, and the adjective 'malicious' may be a word that you will use to describe me after our altercation that is sure to happen." He knelt down and began to pull on his winter boots, quickly tying them up and then giving Demyx a look. "Armed with the knowledge that I am going to crush and conquer every nuance of your personality and possibly damage your soul and spirit irrevocably, will you meet me at the ice rink?"

"Yes," Demyx said without any hesitation.

Zexion stared at him for a long time before shaking his head and mumbling, "You are remarkably daft."

••••••••••••••

**He had some **time to think. The busses, which were his preferred method of transportation, were not running due to the snow. The streets were also free from cars and most shops had closed. While Zexion would deem it safe to walk around, he would not disagree if someone were to call this a 'snow storm.'

His hands were in the pockets of his coat ad he was bundled up well. However, he was still quite cold and his thoughts kept lingering on Demyx and how warm his body was. His mind was moseying slowly through all his memories and thoughts and expectations he had of Demyx. He was busy trying to etch into his head every dip, line, and curve of the other's features. The way his facial hair grew in blond so it looked non-existent. Or the way his posture was straight despite the rest of him being a slovenly mess. The way he spoke English so improperly. The way he reminded Zexion so strongly of the sun because he was always smiling about something and he was always so warm.

He liked the way Demyx smelled. And he liked the way the blond just rolled out of bed and looked nice without trying. Zexion really liked the way Demyx didn't have expectations for him other than that he try to be a kinder person. And he liked that Demyx got to know him and _still_ believed he could be anything, that he could do anything. He liked that Demyx loved him because Zexion had never been sure with Vexen. And he liked that Demyx, despite their relationship being based on a total lie and joke, was honest.

Zexion sighed and his breath came out in a white, wintery puff. He liked the curve of Demyx's back. He liked that he was tall and thin and muscular. He liked to think that, if the opportunity arose, Demyx would throw himself in front of a bus for Zexion. And he liked knowing that Demyx complemented him in that they were completely opposite.

Zexion also liked that way Demyx had taught him that there are all kinds of varieties of _smart_ and that being book smart was just one variety. And it kind of made him smile to know that if he asked Demyx to spell 'varieties,' he probably wouldn't be able to. But he wouldn't take offense or be upset at his lack of knowledge because Demyx was happy to just _be_.

And Zexion supposed that that was what he liked best. Demyx was happy to just be. He loved himself to the fullest extent and he loved himself in a way that was kind, caring, and everything Zexion had ever needed. Demyx didn't love himself in the way Vexen loved himself. Demyx's love was open and he was quite willing to share.

Zexion stopped and looked up at the falling snow for a brief moment. He pulled his scarf up over his lips and nose and continued walking. Though he wanted to be plotting some way to get back at Demyx to make him feel just as bad as he did, he was finding it difficult to come up with anything. Demyx was so tragically harmless that it was nearly painful to Zexion.

It was pretty clear that Demyx would never intentionally hurt someone. And it was clear that Demyx, though he didn't always have the best judgment, did really, and truly, care for Zexion.

Demyx loved Zexion in a way that was new and different and somehow palpable. Demyx loved Zexion in the way his mother had loved him before his father died. Demyx loved Zexion in a way that didn't ask for anything in return. His love was kind and it didn't demand. It had patience and it was gentle. Demyx loved in the way grandmothers loved small children, and that kind of tender, gentle love was something that Zexion sorely needed.

He needed a gentle hand to guide him. He needed that tenderness to reassure him. He needed that undemanding love because sometimes Zexion wasn't sure if loving someone was a possibility for him. And he needed time to think and adjust, and Demyx, he knew, would give him till the end of time to decide.

Demyx didn't need to hear Zexion loved him back. He was too intuitive for words. And Zexion liked not having to spell out his feelings in order for Demyx to understand. The silence between them was comfortable because he knew that, despite his lack of adequate words, Demyx just knew and he accepted it.

Anxiety rose in his chest when he reached Axel's house. He had come around the back side because he knew, from eavesdropping on Roxas a while ago, that this was where Axel and the blond generally hung out. While Zexion knew it was improper to enter through the back instead of the front, he had no patience to deal with Axel's parents who, undoubtedly, knew all about him.

Hesitantly, he knocked on the pool house door. A mixture of fear, regret, and anxiousness made him feel briefly nauseated. He believed it was safe to say that he and Axel were rivals or enemies or maybe just two people stuck in a very weird spot and this made him nervous. He knocked again when no one answered and then he knocked a third time.

Knocking a fourth time seemed excessive so Zexion placed his ear against the very cold door and tried to listen to the noise inside. It was quite possible Axel had seen him and had decided not to answer. And Zexion, who was on a quest for answers, decided to open the pool house door and just proceed with what needed to be done.

"Axel?" he called when he walked inside. Feeling for the light switch, he flipped it on and looked around the room. Curiosity crossed his features when he saw Sora, Roxas' brother, struggling to free himself from a chair that he had been hastily tied to.

Quickly, Zexion walked over to him and removed the bandana that had been placed between Sora's teeth like a horse bit. "Are you okay?" he asked with a tone of inquisitiveness.

Sora wet his lips and blurted. "Axel's behind the whole thing with Demyx!"

Zexion raised his brows because the news really wasn't all that shocking. "Yes. I figured that he was the culprit." He began to untie Sora.

"You… You did?" the brunet asked with a frown. "Then how come you haven't murdered Demyx yet? Or tried to blow up Axel's house?"

Zexion undid the ropes and watched as Sora began to rub at his wrists. "Because…" He began, but then he stopped because he didn't want to confide his feelings to a total stranger. "Why were you tied up?"

Sora made a face. "I wanted to tell you the truth."

Zexion took a seat on the arm of the couch across from Sora. He removed his scarf and mittens and enjoyed the warmth of the pool house. "Why the sudden change in heart?"

There was a pause between them and then Sora kind of awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well… Because…" He rubbed nervously at the back of his head. "I… sort of… told them what they should do. I thought up the plan. And it was my idea for them to use Demyx."

"Use him?" Zexion asked curiously.

"Well…" Sora hesitated. "Not use him, but… But get him to go along with the scheme. Look, Zexion, we weren't trying to hurt you. We were just trying to mess with you. And we're all really sorry."

He snorted. "Sorry. Right. Okay. Is that why your friends tied you to a chair? Because they're all so sorry for playing with my life?"

Sora flinched. "It's complicated," he said quickly. "Axel's dad is… He's just a bad guy and Riku is just stuck in this terrible situation between his parents and Axel, and then there's this whole thing with you and the plan and the guilt and Demyx's payment and –"

"Payment?" Zexion raised his eyebrows. "What payment?"

The brunet looked at him. "Payment? I said arraignment."

Zexion's gray eyes narrowed. "He was being _paid_ to follow me around?"

Sora shook his head. "Not at all! He was being… um… compensated for his time."

Zexion stood. "Excuse me…" He pulled his mittens and scarf on and began to leave the pool house, but Sora stood up and grabbed him by the wrist.

"Wait! Zexion, listen, Axel and Riku aren't going to be able to give Demyx what they promised so –"

"So what?" He snapped. "He was only following me for money. He was only doing all that for money."

"No," Sora said unsurely. "He…" But he didn't know what to say because he didn't know the ins and outs of their relationship and he didn't know Demyx very well at all. "Be mad at us, Zexion. Don't be mad at Demyx! He was just a pawn!"

Zexion snatched his wrist away from Sora and looked at him coldly. "I hate to break it to you, but Demyx is much too smart to be nothing but a pawn."

He exited the pool house, slamming the door behind him and finding that the cold did nothing to quell the burning anger he felt. While there were some things he could accept, like Demyx going along with the joke and then his sincerity forcing him to be a really good conscience and actually help, he couldn't accept that Demyx was accepting payment.

And it angered Zexion to know that, during the course of their time together, Demyx was just running a figurative meter.

No wonder the blond wanted to spend so much time with him. How much of Demyx's feelings were love for Zexion and how much were love for money? Was Demyx going to try and draw the joke past six months so he could collect a bigger sum? Or was he just happy to be pocketing some money regardless? Was making Zexion believe he was so loved real? Or was it just a way to prolong the whole mess?

Incensed, Zexion stormed down Axel's driveway. He had an hour until he was supposed to meet Demyx at the skating rink. He had an hour to plot the other's ultimate demise.

As for Sora… He was shocked at how badly he had just handled the whole situation. And the only thing to do, he realized, was to go tell the others about the confrontation that had occurred. He had a sinking feeling Demyx was in danger and Sora was certain no one needed more guilt weighing their consciences down.

••••••••••••••

**Riku was pacing** and it was making Roxas mightily anxious. They were sitting in Axel's father's study and the redhead, who sat on his father's desk, was looking at his fingernails. He was calm. His features were neutral. He appeared to be totally content with what was going to happen next and it did nothing but fuel the anxiety Roxas felt.

"What's the plan?" Riku asked for the fifth or sixth time.

Axel raised a brow. "You'll know soon."

Roxas began to nervously look through all the volumes of books in the study in an attempt to quell his nerves. He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace back and forth in front of the bookshelves.

"Why won't you tell me?" Riku pressed.

"Because," the redhead said as he slipped off his father's desk. "If I do, you'll, undoubtedly, do something pigheaded to mess everything up. Just trust me, Ri."

He seemed very unsure and he looked to Roxas for some kind of answer. They briefly made eye contact, but there was nothing readable on the blonde's face. He just appeared to be suffering some severe stress over something, but Riku didn't know what. However, he was certain the stress was over Axel's plan.

"Ri…"

He looked away from Roxas and up at the redhead.

"I want you to know that I understand why you wanted to do that to Demyx," Axel said gently. "And I know what it's like to strive for parental acceptance that's nearly unobtainable. I know you're not a bad guy and I know that if there wasn't this huge mess with our parents, you wouldn't be so willing to sacrifice Demyx."

Riku stared at him unsurely.

"I know your mom would sooner put your out on the street than defend you against my dad and I know that she'd do pretty much anything for money. And I know that if you had nothing, you'd probably never hear from her again. And I get it." Axel shrugged and leaned against the desk. "I know what it's like to feel marginalized by the people you love." He glanced briefly over at Roxas, who appeared not to be paying attention, and gave a little smile to his brother.

Riku seemed to relax a good bit and nodded. He understood what Axel was saying and he appreciated the honesty. Though it was painfully obvious that Axel and Roxas were more than just friends, Riku was very grateful that the redhead had decided to confirm what had always been speculation.

It meant that Axel trustedhim enough to tell him, in a sideways manner, about Roxas.

"Thanks," Riku mumbled. It wasn't like him to give his thanks often, but when he did he really meant it. "I don't… I never wanted to do that to Demyx. I just… I don't know. I just realized that we were putting a lot on the line. I realized that _I _was putting a lot on the line." He paused and then hesitantly asked, "And… your dad's attitude… It's different toward me."

Axel nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Yea…" He agreed. "I know."

The redhead didn't really feel it necessarily to burden Riku with the knowledge his father had bestowed upon him. It was, at this moment in time, erroneous information, and all that mattered was that Axel did what he needed to do in order for his brother to financially, and emotionally, survive.

••••••••••••••

**Zexion was so **worked up that he had taken the liberty of removing his scarf, his mittens, and his winter coat. He still felt warm and he was sure that if anyone – God help them if they did – touched him, they would find his skin hot, maybe even feverish. He was angry. He wasn't upset. He was angry.

Zexion didn't get angry. He became befuddled and annoyed by the inadequacies of others and lashed out at them based on how annoyed they were making him. He resorted to petty name calling and childish insults. But he didn't go home later and plot anyone's death or even really think about what had transpired. He went home and went about his normal, daily life.

Except now was different because now Zexion was angry. Zexion was angry in the same way he had been at his father when he slowly withered away. He felt as if something had been taken from him. He felt like someone had been playing a huge joke on him (and, in this case, they had). And he felt that he was stupid for not realizing things were a certain way sooner.

Demyx, and his father, had made him feel stupid, and this was one of the very few things that made Zexion downright furious. It was the one thing that made him foam at the mouth like a rabid dog. Anger affected him in the way alcohol affected an angry drunk. It made him hot and irritable. It made him want to hit and punch and scream. It made him want to instigate fights and lash out at innocent bystanders.

And it made him really sad. Because it hurt him deeply to know that two people he loved so dearly would cause him this amount of pain. His father, slowly withering away until completely consumed and then Demyx…

Zexion's head swam for a moment and he stumbled slightly. He caught his balance against a nearby tree and briefly wondered if all the heat he was radiating, if the urge to vomit, was less from his intense antagonism and maybe more from something else.

Maybe a side effect from standing out in the cold for nearly a half hour with nothing but his shirt and his pants to keep him warm.

"Zexion?" Demyx quickly walked over to the other and touched his shoulder. "Are you okay? You're pale…"

He pulled himself away from the blond and gave him a look that caused the hairs on the back of Demyx's neck to rise.

Zexion, consumed by a mixture of incredibly negative feelings, couldn't even string a sentence together. Looking at the blonde's face just made his stomach want to burst. He wanted to vomit. He wanted to lie down in the snow and quell the extreme heat he felt. Zexion swore he was sweating despite the snow and his lack of clothing.

"Zexion, I…" Demyx didn't know what to say. "You need to go home. There's something wrong with you."

"With me?" he finally exploded. "Something wrong with me?"

Demyx jumped. He had never heard the other yell like that. His voice echoed throughout the wooded area and the blonde's eyes became exceptionally wide.

"There's something wrong with you!" he continued. "Who the fuck takes _money _to follow someone around and… And make their life completely miserable? You made me question every single nuance of my being! You made me… You made me rehash things that I had put away! I accepted myself before you bumbled your way into my life! You…" Zexion felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he paused. "My God…" He breathed. "I can't… I can't even begin to describe how angry I am. I can't even look at you."

"I didn't…" His voice was filled with panic and he tried to think of the right thing to say, but nothing was coming to him. For once, Demyx was absolutely speechless and his mind, usually quite quick in pressure situations such as this, was utterly blank.

"You didn't what?" Zexion roared. "What are you going to say? That… that you didn't _follow_ me for money?"

"Initially I was, but I –"

Zexion's jaw was clenched. "Get away from me," he snapped. "I… I'm going to strike you if you don't get away from me."

Demyx hesitated, but then stood firm. "There's something wrong with you, Zexion. I'm not going to leave you here." He reached out and, quite stupidly, grabbed the other's arm.

The touch did nothing but fuel Zexion's rage and he gave the blonde a very forceful shove. Demyx stumbled back and tripped over a small snow bank, falling down it and landing on the ice with a resounding 'thud.'

••••••••••••••

**All the doors **were locked and Sora assumed this was on purpose. He had tried a few windows, but nothing worked and the brunet was beginning to panic. He really did think there was potential for Zexion to kill Demyx. And, if he didn't kill him, Demyx was surely going to wind up injured or in jail for stalking.

"Shit!" Sora swore when he tried to open another window and found it locked. He began to pace and tried to think of something, but nothing came to mind. He had left his cell phone at his apartment and, briefly, he wished he and Roxas shared some sort of telepathic power.

"Hey!" Sora began to yell from outside. "Hey! You guys!"

In the study, Roxas looked over at Axel and Riku and then he looked toward the window. "Did you guys hear something?"

Axel and Riku glanced at each other and then shrugged.

"Maybe a bird," Axel offered.

Roxas listened for another moment before shrugging and going back to pacing the length of the bookshelves, pretending every now and then to be interested in one of the titles.

••••••••••••••

**Zexion came down **the snow bank and stumbled momentarily on the ice. Demyx had gotten up, but it was quite clear from the blood that he had suffered a head injury. There was blood streaming down the blonde's neck and Zexion, who would have been worried, knew enough to know that head wounds, even minor ones, bled relentlessly.

Without say anything, he began to walk away from Demyx and across the ice. He didn't know where he was going. He had come down the bank to check on the other, but he regretted his decision and now he was trying to get away. He was confused. He was angry and he was confused.

"Zexion!" Demyx called, following after the other, but at a slower, much more careful pace. He was afraid of falling again and Demyx, who was barely graceful when walking, was outstandingly graceless on ice.

"Go away!" Zexion yelled.

The blond made an aggravated noise in his throat. "Zexion, stop!" He didn't know what the other was doing, but he knew the ice on the other end of the pond was weak. He had seen the 'no skating on the south end of the pond' sign when entering the wooded area. And he was guessing, by Zexion's hurried gait to the other end, the bookworm had failed to see the posted warning.

"Zexion!" Demyx yelled.

The slate haired boy turned and stumbled. "I haven't changed!" he yelled. "I had potential! You made me believe I had potential! And you just… It was all just a joke!"

Demyx flinched. "You _have_ changed!"

Zexion felt heat flood his face. "You were just following me for money! You were doing it all for money!" He felt increasingly unwell. "I thought I could be different, but I see now that you don't give a fuck about the way I am! You just wanted to collect your payment!"

"That's not true!" he yelled. "If you would just shut up and quite acting like such a baby and let me explain –"

"Explain what?" Zexion roared. "You're sick! You agree to follow around a stranger and… and make him completely question himself, the world, and everyone he knows just for some money? You made me think that I… I was fucked up! That I had been doing things all wrong! You made me think you were some benevolent _thing_ that had meandered into my life to _help _me! Not… Not fuck me over!"

Demyx blushed. "It isn't like that!" he insisted, though he knew it was useless. "Zexion, you're going to freeze!"

Annoyed by the blonde's change of subject, he began to run (or, rather, awkwardly stagger) down the ice. Demyx was behind him, trying his best to stay on his feet. He kept yelling that the ice was thin and that Zexion was going to fall. He kept yelling that he should stop moving. Demyx was yelling and yelling and yelling, but it was all for naught because Zexion didn't want to listen.

He didn't think he needed to. Demyx had proven he wasn't trustworthy.

"You're selfish!" Zexion yelled. "You're selfish and cruel!"

Demyx had had it. "I'm not!" he shouted. "And if you would just stop running for a _second_ and gave me a chance to explain myself, you'd know I'm not as bad as you're making me out to be!"

Zexion, infuriated that Demyx didn't seem to understand that he was, indeed, a very lousy individual, attempted to round on the other. But he slipped and fell, his bruised, injured side colliding with the cold, thin layer of land and he let out a small cry of pain.

Then the ice cracked.

Demyx stopped in his tracks and stared. "Zexion, don't move!"

Shaking, confused, angry, and so wildly hurt, he attempted to get up. He pressed his weight to one of the cracks in the ice and when he stood, a low moan came from under his feet. The pressure and weight on the ice was too much and Zexion looked at Demyx with a peaceful look of sudden realization.

"I'm going to drown."

The ice broke from underneath him and he fell into the unforgiving cold.

••••••••••••••

**Axel tensed considerably **when the sound of a car pulling into the driveway caught his attention. He looked anxiously from Riku to Roxas and then at the door of the study. His father was sure to walk in at any moment. He always went straight to his study when he came back from his daily outings. It was a place no one was allowed to be in, but Axel knew it was the only way to privately talk to his father without Riku's mother butting in.

The sound of glass breaking was another unwelcome noise and all three boys exchanged a look.

Roxas' eyes widened. "It's Sora."

"Oh my God. Or it's Zexion," Axel said with dread in his voice.

"Stay here," Riku commanded. "I'll go see what's going on." He quickly sprinted from the room and down the steps. The sound had come from the living room and Riku was relieved when he saw Sora, not Zexion, climbing through the shattered window.

"What are you doing?" Riku asked, frustration clear in his tone. He grabbed Sora's arm and pulled him through. "Why did you break the window?"

Sora brushed the glass from his coat. "No one was answering the door."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "There's a spare key under the front mat."

Silence passed between them and then the brunet awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well… I guess I now know for next time."

Riku rolled his eyes. "I don't have time to talk to you. Axel's father just got home and –"

"Zexion came into the pool house and untied me and I told him everything, but not… really everything because he didn't give me a chance and now I think he's going to go kill Demyx!" Sora said quickly.

Riku stared, dumbfounded and annoyed. "…_What?_"

"I said –"

"I heard what you said!" He grabbed Sora's hand and began to pull him through the living room and then up the steps. The front door opened and slammed and he could hear the voices of Axel's father and his mother. He also heard them pause when they saw the busted window and the snow falling into the living room.

Riku and Sora ran into the study. Quickly, he closed the door and locked it.

"No time to talk to our parents! Mister Honesty here told Zexion what was going on and now Zexion is going to go kill Demyx!"

Axel looked shocked. "Did he… Did he say that?"

There was pause and then Sora mumbled, "Well, no, but I assume…"

"Goddamnit!" Roxas swore. "What is wrong with you, Sora?" He was less angry and much more exasperated.

"I was trying to help!"

"Stop helping!" Roxas and Axel shouted in mistaken unison.

"Noted. But I can't take it back now!"

Riku ran his hand nervously through his hair. "Where do you think they are?"

"Well, let's see…" Axel checked the invisible watch he was wearing. "By now, Demyx is probably flailing his waving hand at Jesus."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "We have to find them!"

"Good plan," Axel mumbled sarcastically.

The blond elbowed him in the side and opened his mouth to devise a plan, but there was a knock on the study door.

"Axel? Riku?" their father said from the other side as he jiggled the handle for a second time. "What's going on?"

"Oh my God. We're going to go to jail. We're accessories to Zexion's crime," Sora pointed out in a whisper.

"We aren't going to jail!" Roxas snapped. "Let's… Um…" Without much thought, he walked over to the study door and took a breath before unlocking and opening it. Axel's father looked at Roxas questioningly and then at the rest of them.

"What's…?" He crossed his arms and stared suspiciously.

"Uh… We were playing pretend. Come on, guys. Let's… go play Murder Mystery somewhere else."

Axel gave Roxas a look, but then followed with Riku in tow. Both mumbled, 'Hi Dad,' as they walked past and once they were out of the study, all four began to run.

"What's going on?" he called after them. He hesitated, but then decided against going into his study. Something was afoot and he didn't like the title of the game they were supposedly playing.

They were too old to be playing pretend. And he was hoping to God a dead body wouldn't be turning up within the next 48 hours.

* * *

**A/N: **Well… I hate leaving stories at cliff-hangers because, usually, it takes me a while to update. HOWEVER, this chapter was becoming too long. It's about 10,000 words without the notes/review section. That being said, the next chapter, which will be the FINAL chapter, will be MUCH shorter. Maybe only 5-6k words because there isn't much left to wrap up.

So… Will Zexion drown? Will Demyx's head injury make him forget math? Will Axel, Sora, Riku, and Roxas save both of them in time? Will Axel's dad ever figure out what's going on? Will Demyx be compensated for his troubles? And what will happen to Kairi?

I'll try and wrap all that up in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, reviewing, alerting, favoriting, and all that other cool stuff you guys do. **Please remember to take a gander at the poll as it dictates what the next Demyx/Zexion story will be.**

Also, big old honking thanks to **Aindel S. Druida** for editing. I'm going to plug her in every chapter because, you know, she spends a LOT of time doing editing work for me. And she does it for free. So… That makes her a pretty fantastic individual in my book. Give her profile a gander, take a look at her stories, maybe toss her a PM if it tickles your fancy.

The next chapter, since cliff-hangers are balls, will be out ASAP.  
Also, I didn't reread any of the 'review' section so... I'm sure the errors in there are both hilarious and plentiful.

**Thanks for reviewing:**

**Nacht Schleier: **Nah. That was never going to work. Demyx did too good a job with Zexion.

**WindRush: **Yes. And that's kind of happening in this chapter and the last. Zexion does want to care about Demyx, but he's also pretty upset about being Demyx being paid to lie to him. I think, in the last chapter, I'm going to wrap up Sora's and Riku's relationship in the next chapter. It just occurred to me that I need to make that happen and not just slide it back in there like it's fact.

**PrinceLogan: **Glad you enjoyed it!

**Thewriteroflostcauses: **Your words are very kind and I appreciate them. Lucky for you, this chapter wasn't the last. It just got too long and I didn't want to make it feel rushed. Besides, any chapter above 10k words is just…. It's just getting way too long.  
I try and make all the relationships feel very real. And I've never been in a relationship that rainbows and puppies all the time. There are always weird, icky patches that are awkward and strange, but then they dissolve into something better. Granted, this story is much more dramatic than any relationship I've ever been in. But this is fiction so I think that's probably okay.  
Hahahhaha. Thank you. I think maybe I'd like to actually publish one day and if I ever do, I'll let you know. I don't plan on quitting writing anytime soon. I've always got ideas going and, frankly, I like it too much. If I do ever stop writing, I can pretty much guarantee all my stories will be finished. So… at least there will be a LOT of material to read.

**Syranjil Sarephen: **Russian is an awesome language. It's incredibly economical in that you only need a few words to say a whole lot. And no worries. I know you aren't being homophobic. But, to be honest, I just base most of the relationships I write about on relationships I've had or know other people have had. And I just base how the characters act off the reactions I've seen or my own reactions. When I write these characters, I try and think of someone I know who is similar to that character. And then I combine the personalities and just roll with what I get. The characters tend to write themselves and I really like that.  
Yes. Please send me your e-mail so we can discuss the project me. I am still very excited that you want to translate the story.  
Yes – please let me know where you are publishing it as I would love to place it on my profile for other people to see. I'm not sure how many people speak Italian on ffnet, but I think having the story in both English and Italian can be a good tool for people to practice with. Translating is the best way to learn a language. I think you will learn a LOT when you translate this story. You speak English very well already.  
I saw you left two reviews and I'm going to clear up a miscommunication. Sakurasapprentice7 wasn't talking about you, but a very weird reviewer who e-mailed me about one of my stories and insulted my being Russian. I already explained to Sakura the error so there are no worries. I understand the confusion especially when English is your second language. I just wanted to let you know that she wasn't talking about you.

**Sakurasapprentice7: **Hahahaha yea. I didn't even answer that person's last e-mail. I just wrote it off as crazy shenanigans. But, yea… I tried to make Riku's situation a little more understandable. It doesn't excuse how he acted, but I wanted readers to not… you know, hate him. Because a lot of people disliked him in _AF_.  
Lucky for you, Sakura, there is _SL_ plus I am going to post a new Ri/So story very soon. Probably once I post the final chapter of _GC_ that story will be up. Also, if you haven't already, please go to my profile and vote on the poll. It's for the new Dem/Zex story so… Your opinion matters.  
I did enjoy Disney World. It was awesome. And thank God for it because, you know, I was having some terrible writer's block and that sort of unplugged it.

**Anime Hottie Lovah: **Yes. But his situation is going to improve.

**Of cabbages and kings: **Hehehe. Yea, I try and break up any drama or sad parts by putting in little bits of humor here and there. No one likes to read a wrist-cutting fest so… I try and add in the humor to make everything a little more bearable.  
Yes. I second that. In fact, let's all go over there for a drink. I think it would be a really good time and I think it might be a good way to end the story. As like, you know, an addendum to tack on.  
Oh God. Yea. I definitely meant 'hadn't.' But, luckily, I think you were the only person who caught that. I didn't catch and neither did my beta (which is shocking). But yes, I most certainly meant hadn't. That's super important because it is character development.  
You know… I haven't played anything post KH2. I played, briefly _Days_, but got fed up with it because I have no patience for games played on the DS and PSP. I would like to play _BBS_ and I hope they do a re-release for it on PS2 or something.

**PumpkinLenses: **Nah. I'm the kind of person that really likes the happy ending. It just feels like I'm taking a LOT of the reader's time if I make them read in excess of 150k words that has a sad, terrible ending. I've read really long books that have unhappy endings and they just kind of piss me off. Oh – on the upside of this ending, I am going to post more stories. There will be another Dem/Zex story. The 3 possible choices are sitting on the poll on my profile. So take a gander and vote if you like.

**TenTen99: **Yep. Zexion's always had a thing for Demyx.

**LumosFlies: **Hahahah. Thanks. Reviews like these always make me feel really good about myself and my writing. These kinds of reviews always make me want to keep writing more.

**xFallenSpirit18x: **That used to be the code for my iPhone, but now I don't even bother. I barely use the thing so I don't have to ever really worry about it getting lost.  
Yea, the notebook thing is just pure coincidence. Someone else pointed it a few chapters ago and I was like, "Oh yea, look at that." I guess I have a thing for stealing notebooks. Probably because nobody is really ballsy enough to steal a laptop or a cellphone. Those would be really noticeable items if they disappeared. Also, I feel like the notebook has more privacy than a phone or PC but mostly because screen sizes are getting larger and larger each day. Notebooks stay, generally, one size.  
That's _very_ good. I think if you aren't feeling what at least one of the characters feels, something is amiss. You should always, to some degree, have emotional investment in the story. It means the author has a done good job making you attached to the characters.  
That's nice of you to say. And I'm glad your writing has improved! I picked up my writing style from reading a bunch of different authors and blending their styles into something I liked and something that worked for me. It's a useful technique.

**Sana-chan9: **Hahahaha, thanks! I really hate the whole, "One second he's bad, but the next second he isn't." And I also hate it when the character changes, but then NEVER goes back to how he used to be. It's just unrealistic. People change, sure, but they also falter and make mistakes. And, as you can see from this chapter, Zexion is busy causing a huge scene and kind of reverting back to his old ways. Shit happens.  
I kind of like jerk Zexion because I think he feels marginalized by society because he is really, really smart. And I think he hates feeling so marginalized and I think he doesn't want to admit that he's lonely or that maybe he needs something other than books so he just… Lashes out at people to hide how he really feels. As for Demyx, I don't think he'll ever be book smart, but I HATE it when people write him as if he has no common sense. Demyx is kind of a coward and probably shit at math, but I guarantee you he's the kind of kid who could solve a Rubix cube within a few seconds flat.  
I… don't understand the ridiculous flirt thing with Axel. I have NEVER been like, "Oh, Axel equals flirtatious." I think he's really flirtatious with Roxas and has potential to be flirtatious with other people, but… I don't see him just hitting on everyone. I see him trying to get a lot of ass, but not necessarily flirting.  
Ugh. The side of my lip does that. I woke up one morning and it was just all split and painful. Lips weren't chapped or anything. Super retarded.

**SkoRn3d: **Good. I like it when readers feel so strongly about a story. And, you know, I was really shaky about this idea because I was worried Zexion would come off as… I dunno. I guess OOC. And I know a LOT of people are like, "I read the summary and thought this was NEVER going to work and it totally does." I just… never really thought it through, I guess. I just see Zexion and go, "Well, he's smart, but he's also VERY curious and insecure. So… Sure. Why not let an attractive man stay in your house while also acting as your guiding light?"  
Well, everything's out in the open now. Sorry about leaving it at the cliff-hanger like that, but hopefully the next chapter will be out VERY soon. It's a dick move to leave things as a cliff hanger and then a long time to update.

**Chaoschaser01: **Glad you like it. Hope this chapter was just as pleasing to you.

**ConvertedToZemyx30: **Maaaaaybe. The next chapter is really gonna reveal everything / wrap the story up. You'll just have to wait for the next update!

**CoconutMigration: **I laughed my ass off when I saw this review. Then I checked when I last updated this story and was like, "Oh shit… It's been a while." If it weren't for this review, I probably would've taken another two weeks to update.

**KamiKase:** Glad you like it. And yes. That was defintiely foreshadowing happening in the beginning. Points to you for paying attention. Whether or Zexion will drown... Eh. We'll see what happens.


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